'Show us your Regina': Canadian city pulls tourism campaign after facing backlash for sexualizing its name
Following weeks of public outrage over what some described as "rapey" and "misogynistic" slogans, Saskatchewan's capital is walking back its campaign.
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- Canadian city Regina attempted to rebrand is tourism agency to "Experience Regina" in March.
- Slogans for the campaign included "Show us your Regina" and "The city that rhymes with fun."
- The changes sparked backlash accusing the agency of sexualizing the city.
Saskatchewan's capital city is making headlines this week for a bungled attempt to rebrand its tourism agency.
After debuting a rebrand from Tourism Regina to Experience Regina last month, the city's tourism organization pulled its new campaign amid public backlash to slogans some found offensive, Canadian news outlet CBC reported.
The organization issued an apology for the phrases, which included "Show us your Regina" and "The city that rhymes with fun," plays on a running joke about how the city's name rhymes with vagina.
The slogans quickly prompted strong reactions from some who called the phrases "rapey" and "misogynistic."
"Show us your Regina" was featured on the Experience Regina website, but has since been removed, the Toronto Star reported.
—Jennifer Bowes (@JBowes_SKNDP) March 19, 2023
On Thursday, the agency announced it would scrap the rebrand altogether and return to its Tourism Regina name, according to CBC. The announcement came after about a dozen protesters gathered inside Regina City Hall to call for Tourism Regina CEO Tim Reid and Mayor Sandra Masters to resign, Fox News reported.
"Many survivors of sexual assault, including me, have been triggered and re-traumatized by this horrid campaign," Bernadette Wagner, a spokesperson for the group said, per Fox News.
In a social media post, Reid apologized that the campaign "fell short of what is expected from our amazing community with some of the slogans that are used." Both Reid and Masters have said they intend to stay in their positions and do not intend to resign.
"The city didn't appreciate it and our community didn't appreciate it and we just were wrong," Reid said in a March interview, according to CBC.