The CFL team has since apologized to its fan base, and have said that the campaign was developed by women on their marketing team.
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The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ are feeling the heat after an email campaign targeting female fans backfired, with some people on social media accusing it of being misogynistic and promoting toxic diet culture.
The poster included in the email, which was sent Tuesday and has been circulating on social media, featured the viral TikTok trend “girl math,” which is used as faulty logic to justify sometimes frivolous purchases in a self-deprecating way. Examples of this include exchanging an item at a store for another, and considering it as free since no physical funds were used during the transaction.
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The mass email from Roughriders’ ticket office was titled “Girl Math is When Cheaper Tickets = Free Drinks!” The email was part of a campaign to sell tickets to women at future Roughriders’ games.
In addition to the phrase “proficient in girl math — it’s basically free,” slogans “big savings — no influencer code needed,” “literally the best excuse for cute matching outfits,” and “take the stairs, earn the seltzers,” were also included in the e-poster, leaving a bad taste in some fans’ mouths.
People on social media have spoken out against the campaign they say reinforces stereotypes that women are poor at math, want to be influencers, are preoccupied with clothing and are obsessed with dieting.
Larena Hoeber, professor of sport management and associate dean of graduate studies in kinesiology and health at the University of Regina, said the Roughriders’ approach is outdated.
“I get the trend of it, but as a season-ticket holder for the Roughriders’ and a woman, it just feels like they’re stereotyping their female fan base,” said Hoeber in an interview Wednesday.
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Hoeber said it’s important to understand this type of marketing might be attractive to a certain segment of the population, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but organizations like the Roughriders’ should refrain from making generalizations of people.
“We have to get beyond that,” said Hoeber. “Women are much more diverse than I think a lot of sport organizations are considering.”
The Saskatchewan Roughriders apologized to members of the fan base in an email following backlash.
“Yesterday, we sent an email to you that missed the mark. Our playful attempt at “girl math”, a lighthearted TikTok trend created by women where humour is used to explain purchases, ended up not feeling lighthearted at all to our fans. For that, we unequivocally apologize,” said an email sent out by the football club Wednesday afternoon.
“The Roughriders’ staff is made up of 50 per cent women, and the “girl math” email was imagined, developed and deployed by women within our marketing team, but we heard from our female fans that this message did not resonate with them,” said Jacqueline Hurlbert, director of marketing for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in a statement Wednesday. “We will use this as a learning opportunity to do better in the future.”
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Criticisms continued on social media throughout the day Wednesday. One post called the advertisement “abhorrent, disrespectful, misogynistic and disgusting,” and said the Roughriders have now lost a lifelong fan.
“I’m not ‘earning’ seltzers or wearing matching outfits,” said another in a social media post. “If I’m at a game it’s to cheer, enjoy the atmosphere and not worry about how many calories I’m consuming or how many steps I’m taking.”
The NFL saw record-high numbers of female viewers after pop-star Taylor Swift began attending Kansas City Chiefs’ games.
The contents of the email pitched tickets “on the best patio in the province” for a “cute price, right?” It was accompanied with the warning: “’cause missing this is for sure worse than when they run out of Cinnamon Dolce Sprinkles!”
Last year, Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL), which operates Mosaic Stadium, received backlash following a marketing ploy for Tourism Regina that Mayor Sandra Masters called “sexist and wrong.”
The campaign included the phrases “show us your Regina” and “the place that rhymes with fun.”
Public outcry led to an independent investigation into the campaign that looked into the source of the catchphrases regarded by many as tasteless.
— with files from Darrell Davis
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