Tourism officials in the Canadian city of Regina have apologized for a “gross” new ad campaign that has been slammed as “misogynist” and “steeped in masculine toxicity.”
Locals in the city of Saskatchewan, located 100 miles north of the US border, eagerly awaited the unveiling of the new ads last Thursday, which came as part of a $30,000 rebrand by the tourism organization Experience Regina.
However, the residents were revolted by the inclusion of two sleazy slogans in the campaign that poked fun at the fact that the city’s name rhymes with the word “vagina.”
The slogans — “Show us your Regina” and “The city that rhymes with fun” — appeared on the tourism organization’s website and on hoodies before they were quickly pulled in the face of backlash.
“I want to start by apologizing, on behalf of myself and our team, for the negative impact we created with elements of our recent brand launch,” Experience Regina CEO Tim Reid said in a statement on Sunday.
“It was clear that we fell short of what is expected from our amazing community with some slogans that we used,” he added. “We crossed the line on some of the poking fun at ourselves around our city name.”
Reid’s apology didn’t appear to placate all who were outraged by the raunchy campaign, with some calling for him to resign.
Others lashed out at the tourism honcho, including one who snarled: “Do better. This is pathetic and disgusting,
“Of course a man would be in charge of this joke of a campaign,” a second critic stated. “Offensiveness aside it’s super cringe and dated humor. You can be clever without resorting to trashy slogans.”
Meanwhile, a number of prominent female Regina residents have spoken out about the sordid slogans, according to CBC.
“It’s sexualizing the city when it isn’t necessary,” former tourism board member Kristen McLeod stated,
Meanwhile, local councilwoman Cheryl Stadnichuk said she was “incredibly disappointed and appalled” by the campaign.
“The slogans associated with the campaign, however, are misogynist and objectify women’s bodies,” she wrote. “As one woman pointed out on social media, would we engage school children with this messaging? I also ask, do we want men harassing women in bars chanting ‘Show us your Regina?’”