Radio Shack will not sponsor a Mexican newspaper’s campaign inviting home fans to prick voodoo dolls and cast a curse on the United States ahead of next month’s World Cup qualifier.
The electronics retailer announced yesterday it would not be a distribution outlet for the sports daily Record’s venture, which included 10,000 dolls.
“In their desire to support their national team in the World Cup, our recently acquired operation in Mexico was interested in participating in a promotion created by the Record,” RadioShack said in a statement. “Upon notification of our potential involvement, Radio Shack Corporation has decided not to participate.”
“It surprises us,” said Record marketing manager Daniel Paz.
Paz said the campaign was intended as a “novel and fun” way of elevating the profile of next month’s rivalry game, and there was no ill will behind it.
The promotion will continue, and the paper is in talks with businesses interested in taking over as distribution centres.
Mexico has not beaten the U.S. on American soil in 10 years, so on Tuesday the Record began publishing coupons for fans to clip and redeem for a voodoo-doll likeness of a player in a U.S. jersey. An illustration showed a pair of scissors slicing off the leg of a doll grimacing in pain with its arms covered in bruises, as stuffing leaked from a jersey stuck with pushpins.
Record said it hoped people will gather around televisions for the Feb. 11 match and “apply punishments to our rivals,” giving Mexico an edge to end the decade-long drought.
“Help end the losing streak so Mexico advances,” the ad read.
Coupons printed on Tuesday and Wednesday by Record used the Radio Shack logo, and Radio Shack’s Mexico subsidiary said on Tuesday it intended to participate.
Record planned to expand the promotion to include effigies representing the other teams competing against Mexico to qualify for the 2010 World Cup: Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago.
