The city of Philadelphia has been abuzz as images of questionable political ads, falsely suggesting the Philadelphia Eagles' endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris, surfaced over Labor Day weekend. These ads, displaying a cartoon character sporting an Eagles helmet and holding a football with the text "Kamala Official Candidate of the Philadelphia Eagles" in the team's distinctive font, have cropped up at various bus shelter locations throughout the city, including 16th and Spring Garden streets, 18th Street and JFK Boulevard, and 34th and Walnut streets, as FOX 29 reports.
Despite these alleged endorsements, the Eagles organization has distanced itself from the ads. "We are aware of counterfeit political ads are being circulated and are working with out advertising partner to have them removed," stated the team in a message reported by FOX 29. Moreover, in a gesture demonstrating the fervor of the team's fanbase, an Eagles supporter took the initiative by covering the unauthorized ad at the bus stop located at 34th & Walnut with legitimate Eagles materials. The fan, identified only as Joe, expressed his concerns to FOX 29, saying, "This person is lying to everyone who comes and uses this stop," highlighting the potential for misinformation these signs could propagate.
The posters' presence has also drawn the attention of local officials, with Matt Cassidy of Philadelphia's Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems treating the incident as vandalism and coordinating with the ad company, Intersection, to ensure that the posters are removed promptly. According to a CBS News Philadelphia report, Cassidy confirmed the city's efforts to work closely with the company behind the ads to have them taken down.
The link featured on the posters, philadelphiaeagles.com/vote, does not suggest any endorsement of Harris, instead leading to a nonpartisan voting information website with past election deadlines and voter resources. Still, the use of the Eagles brand has understandably caused confusion and consternation among fans. As camera crews from Action News engaged with the public, reactions from the community were mixed. "Obviously, it's not to their advantage to be shown to be committed to a certain candidate," noted Mathilda Jones from Center City. Meanwhile, Cameron Smith from Brewerytown commented on the implications of brand misuse: "Somebody can't use their logo in a way that the Eagles organization themselves might now want their logo used."
With social media stirred by the controversy, the identity of the party responsible for the spurious signage is still unknown. Intersection, the media company managing the bus shelters, has expressed awareness of the vandalism. "While our bus shelters have locks that typically prevent the installation of unauthorized copy by non-Intersection staff, occasionally people find a way to unlock the ad box and insert unauthorized copy," the company explained in a statement obtained by Action News. Legal implications of the signage also linger, as indicated by West Philadelphia resident Harry Rothstein, who suggested to Action News, "If there's actually an organization that is putting those signs up there could be a lawsuit." As the facts unfold, Philadelphians remain vocal about the unforeseen entanglement of sports, politics, and the city's image.
