BOS Nation FC Apologizes For "Too Many Balls" Campaign
It's been a rough 48 hours for BNFC
BOS Nation FC issued an apology for their campaign on Wednesday, one day after officially launching the team name and branding.
BNFC acknowledged the campaign’s inconsiderate tone in their statement, which did not “reflect the safe and welcoming environment” they hoped to create. They specifically apologized to the “LGBTQ+ community and to the trans community… for the hurt [they] caused.” The statement ends with a thank you to everyone for holding the team accountable, and said they will do better.
Colossus, the creative agency behind the rollout, also issued an apology for the “hurt and anger” the campaign caused.
“There is clearly more work and more listening to do—to which we are deeply committed,” they said.
The one-minute video in question brought forth the team’s “Too Many Balls” campaign and received an outpouring of negative responses from the NWSL community. The first half of the ad talks about the different types of (male sports) balls in Boston before introducing the new NWSL team.
The video was removed from the team’s website and most social media accounts, namely Instagram, by Wednesday morning. The team’s original X post was active until Wednesday afternoon. Merchandise that evoked the campaign, such as a “Too Many Balls” shirt, was also removed from the team store.
Many spoke out against the campaign, calling it insensitive and exclusionary. Others critiqued it for failing to mention existing Boston women’s sports teams.
Current and former NWSL players shared their own opinions on X and Instagram. Quinn, a current Seattle Reign FC player, said the video felt transphobic, and former USWNT/NWSL player Sam Mewis wished BNFC success while spotlighting other women’s teams.
At Tuesday night’s fan celebration, controlling owner Jennifer Epstein said “the idea [behind the video] really was to move away from gender.”
BOS Nation FC’s statement does not mention a possible name change, despite supporters’ pleas to choose a different name. A fan created a petition to change the name, which has amassed more than a thousand signatures.
“We thought a lot about this [name] and we're looking forward to continuing the conversation,” Epstein said at the fan event.