Philadelphia Eagles Respond to Controversial Political Ad Implicating Kamala Harris

The Philadelphia Eagles have debunked a political ad falsely claiming the NFL team’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris, labeling the ad “counterfeit.”

At a Glance

The Philadelphia Eagles are working to remove counterfeit political ads around the city.
The ads falsely claim Kamala Harris as the “official candidate of the Philadelphia Eagles.”
The ads misuse the Eagles logo and direct people to a real voting information website.
The Eagles have clarified that these ads are not real.
The team is collaborating with their advertising partner to remove the counterfeit ads.

Counterfeit Political Ads Emerge

The Philadelphia Eagles are facing an unexpected controversy regarding fake political ads falsely claiming that the team supports Vice President Kamala Harris for president. The ads, which have been placed in bus shelters and public spaces around Philadelphia, misuse the Eagles’ logo and direct people to a legitimate website for voting information.

Officials from the Eagles swiftly responded, declaring the ads as counterfeit and underscoring that the team does not endorse any political candidates. The fraud has caused public confusion and indignation, particularly from Eagles fans who are calling for politics to stay out of sports.

We are aware counterfeit political ads are being circulated and are working with our advertising partner to have them removed.

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 2, 2024

Reactions and Effects on Social Media

On social media, the reactions to the spurious ads have been rapid and intense. Many users expressed their frustration over the blend of politics with their favorite sports team. One X user asked, “Can we leave politics out of sports?” while another commented, “If this is true, it is heartbreaking!”

“We are aware counterfeit political ads are being circulated and are working with our advertising partner to have them removed,” officials said in a statement.

The unauthorized use of the Eagles’ branding not only misleads the public but also raises questions about the security of public advertising spaces. Intersection, the company that manages the bus shelters, revealed that while their shelters typically have locks to prevent unauthorized access, somehow, individuals managed to insert the counterfeit ads.

Efforts to Rectify the Situation

The Eagles are now working closely with their advertising partner to remove these counterfeit posters. This effort began immediately upon discovery, with plans to mend all affected bus shelters by early Tuesday morning. Intersection, the ad management company, will conduct a full inventory to assess the extent of the unauthorized postings.

“We are aware that several of our bus shelters, located in Philadelphia, have been vandalized and that the paid advertising copy in each of those shelters has been replaced with unauthorized copy,” a spokesperson for Intersection explained.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia’s city officials corroborated that the ads were illegally installed and had nothing to do with any official campaign or organization. This comes amid growing speculation about who might be behind the fraudulent activity.

Unanswered Questions and Future Measures

Despite the ongoing efforts to remove the adverts, questions remain about the origin of these counterfeit posters. Eagles fans and city officials alike are pushing for a thorough investigation to identify the perpetrators and prevent future occurrences. The Harris campaign has yet to make an official comment on the incident.

“A number of illegally placed posters of Kamala Harris and the Philadelphia Eagles were placed in bus shelters in Philadelphia. These were not digital ads placed by the Harris campaign, the Philadelphia EAGLES, SEPTA, The City of Philadelphia, or the media agency, Intersection, that handles the transit ad space. This was not a digital breach; whoever is responsible for the illegally placed posters, broke into the securely covered shelter ad space and somehow put the posters in the space. Intersection has advised the City’s Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS) that they plan to conduct a full inventory tomorrow of all bus shelters and remove any illegal posters. The City has a process to review all bus shelter ads, but this, again, was not a digital ad.”

Adding to the complexity, social media buzz suggests that artist Winston Tseng might be responsible due to his history of using brands in street art to address societal issues. However, no concrete evidence has been presented and no one has taken accountability as of now.