Argos will replace controversial ad

The Toronto Argonauts are pulling an advertisement campaign launched ahead of the season home opener after receiving complaints that the poster condoned domestic abuse.

The ad meant to mobilize support for the team ahead of its July 23 home opener at the Rogers Centre reads: “Home is where the heart is. It’s also where we hurt people.”

Argos’ vice-president of marketing and communications David Bedford said the team is working with the TTC to replace the posters within the next few days with new ones featuring defensive end Ricky Foley — who was on the original poster — that will read “it’s not the heat that makes our opponents sweat.”

Bedford said the initial poster was meant to be taken in a strictly football context.

“Football is a physical game, and there is hitting and people get injured. We were taking it from a football standpoint,” he told CityNews.ca.

He said the team did not anticipate that the poster would prompt any connotations to domestic violence.

“I think we realize now that if you take the tagline without the context of the ad creative, that it doesn’t sound great,” he said.

The team decided to pull the advertisement late Monday, posted on several TTC subway trains and stations, after receiving a complaint from Coun. Mike Layton.

Layton said he applauds the team for acting quickly and appropriately, adding that they had little time to react because the letter had been leaked to the media by a fellow councillor before they had an opportunity to respond.

“I think they acted as true community partners with speed and conviction.”

“The next step should be going and winning that home game,” he said.

Layton wrote in a July 4 letter to Argos’ president and chief executive Bob Nicholson that while the intended meaning made sense, the advertisement for the season home opener “insinuates that domestic violence in the home is acceptable or normal.”

“The ad may also trigger traumatic responses in the many survivors of domestic violence who are courageously moving forward with their lives,” Layton wrote in the letter.

He also sent the letter to Argos’ vice-chair Michael “Pinball” Clemons, TTC Chair Karen Stintz and Todd Minerson of the White Ribbon Campaign, a campaign organized by men to end violence against women.

“Domestic violence is not acceptable. Neither is condoning domestic violence, in any form,” Layton’s letter stated.

He also suggested that the team work with the White Ribbon Campaign in a joint effort to prevent violence against women.

Bedford said he spoke with White Ribbon representatives and expects to meet with them in the next few weeks.

“Our real sweet spot for us is youth wellness, and if there’s something that fits within that, we’re certainly hoping to look at it and talking about it,” he said.

Layton said he is “pleased that the Argos have taken on that challenge.”

“It sounds like they’re taking that quite seriously.”

The Argos run Huddle Up, an anti-youth violence program in schools and have visited students to act against bullying.