RadioShack Withdraws From Mexican Paper's Voodoo Ad Campaign

RadioShack Leaves Campaign Inviting Fans To Buy U.S. Soccer Voodoo Dolls

RadioShack has withdrawn from the Mexican sports daily newspaper Record's promotional campaign "inviting fans to prick voodoo dolls to boost the nation's soccer team" in advance of the February 11 Mexico-U.S. men's World Cup qualifying match, according to Peter Orsi of the AP. The Record had published an ad for the campaign Tuesday, "printing coupons for fans to clip and redeem at their local Radio Shack Store for a voodoo-doll likeness of a U.S. player." An illustration in the ad "showed a pair of scissors slicing off the leg of a doll in a U.S. jersey; the doll grimaced in pain with its arm covered in bruises, as stuffing leaked from its No. 10 jersey, stuck with pushpins." RadioShack in a statement said, "In their desire to support their national team in the soccer World Cup, our recently acquired operation in Mexico was interested in participating. Upon notification of our potential involvement, RadioShack Corp. has decided not to participate." Record Marketing Manager Daniel Paz said that the paper "was in talks with several businesses interested in taking over" RadioShack's spot in the campaign (AP, 1/28).