LONDON, UK — In an effort to enter the British gambling market while strictly adhering to progressive cultural sensitivities, Hollywood star Sydney Sweeney has debuted a brand-new commercial for a major UK sports betting app appearing fully cloaked in a head-to-toe black burka.
The betting company BritBet unveiled its new advertising campaign featuring Sweeney this week, promising a culturally sensitive alternative to the actress’s controversial American sports advertisement that generated backlash from female athletes and millions of dollars in free publicity.
“We wanted Sydney Sweeney to represent our brand,” said BritBet marketing director Colin Harrington. “But we also wanted to make sure absolutely nobody was offended by the fact that Sydney Sweeney is Sydney Sweeney.”
The campaign has not been entirely free of controversy as several watchdog organizations expressed concern that holding two spherical balls in front of a dark garment creates a problematic and subtly suggestive silhouette, demanding that future edits replace the athletic equipment with two copies of the Quran.
Meanwhile, British regulators confirmed that despite Sweeney being entirely covered, the ad would still only air after the 9:00 PM watershed to prevent her eyes from blinking provocatively through the fabric visor.
