Supermarket chain Jumbo withdrew its new World Cup commercial with immediate effect on Wednesday. The commercial caused a lot of fuss, because it was linked to the lousy conditions under which foreign workers in Qatar built the World Cup stadiums.
In October, Jumbo stated that it focused exclusively on the Orange Legion in its communications about the World Cup. “We have carefully considered the way in which we respond to the Orange feeling this year before and during the World Cup.”
But the new commercial, which was presented on Tuesday, showed a bunch of construction workers walking polonaise. A remarkable choice, given that the World Cup in Qatar is controversial, because thousands of migrant workers are said to have died during the construction of the stadiums.
Jumbo therefore received a storm of criticism. On the various social media channels, but also from Amnesty International, for example. “It is the wrong kind of fun,” said spokesman Ruud Bosgraaf of the human rights organization.
Although the World Cup commercial met all the rules according to the Ether Advertising Foundation (Ster), Jumbo decided to withdraw the commercial with immediate effect on Wednesday. “We realize that there is a link here to the appalling working conditions in Qatar and that was never our intention. We apologize for this,” said supermarket chain.
