An area billboard advertising real estate has had its controversial message removed following complaints from community residents that the ad was disgusting and ‘racially tone deaf.’
The Re Max advertisement showed two real estate agents doing karate chops with the words “COVID real estate ninjas at your service.”
The ad was located in the Royal York Rd. and Evans Ave. area in between two middle schools, residents say.
Resident Trevor Lui, who saw the ad last Friday, said it made him angry.
“Use of cultural appropriation, or tone-deafness, or ignorance as a form of marketing, there really isn’t a place for it,” Lui told Global News.
Social media was busy with a number of other residents who left messages to express their disappointment, calling the billboard “offensive” and “awful.”
“The casual racism! The terrible form! The fonts! The random COVID slapped on there! Choices were made,” one Twitter user said.
Residents say the ad would have been approved by a number of marketing people at the real estate firm.
A spokesman for Re Max Integra said in a statement that they were not aware of the billboard prior to it being erected.
“The messaging in the advertisement directly conflicts with our values and belief in equality, inclusiveness and access to homeownership for all,” the official said.
He plans to work with the franchise owner, with whom the agents work, to address the issue.
The message on the billboard was removed by the weekend and a photo of it posted on the real estate agents’ Instagram account.