The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) expansion team in Boston apologized Wednesday for a “Too Many Balls” marketing campaign that sparked harsh backlash from the transgender community and others.
A day after revealing the slogan as part of the launch of the BOS Nation FC team name, the organization posted on X that they “missed the mark” with an attempt to “create a bold and noteworthy brand launch campaign.”
“We fully recognize that the content of the campaign does not reflect the safe and welcoming environment we strive to create for everyone,” the team said, “and we apologize to the LGBTQ+ community and the trans community in particular for the harm we caused.” “.
From us to you. pic.twitter.com/ASHFHltb5n
– NWSL Boston (@NWSLBoston) October 16, 2024
The new name, an anagram of “Bostonian” that also referred to being “boss,” was announced Tuesday along with a video celebrating the city's history of professional sports (mostly performed by men) in which the narrator says, “Boston loves its “Dances” and “There are too many dances in this city.”
It concluded: “We are a BOS nation, where anything is possible. No balls needed,” with the exception, the video notes, of a soccer ball.
“I'm looking forward to seeing the community's response,” Jennifer Epstein, one of the team's owners, told The Associated Press at the time. Actress-director Elizabeth Banks and Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman are also part of the all-female ownership group.
But what they got was not what they expected.
Among the reactions was an Instagram post by Seattle midfielder Quinn, who identifies as transgender and non-binary, saying: “Feels transphobic. Wow.”
There was also criticism, including from Sam Mewis, a Massachusetts native and former United States women's national team player, for not recognizing the city's existing women's sports teams, such as the Boston Fleet of the Professional Women's Hockey League.
The team removed the video from its website and its TooManyBalls.com website was a dead link on Wednesday.
“We are proud to be part of the most inclusive sports league in the world and are committed to upholding the unifying values that define the NWSL and our club,” the team posted on X. “Thank you to everyone who has held us accountable by asking us that we do better. We listen to him and we will do it together.
Colossus Creative Co, the agency behind the campaign, posted its own apology on Instagram on Wednesday, acknowledging that “our work missed the mark.”
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.
