Fake ads appeared on Philadelphia-area bus ports over the weekend featuring the likeness of Kamala Harris donning an Eagles helmet.
A poster, which appeared on at least one bus stop in West Philly over the weekend, read “Kamala, official candidate of the Philadelphia Eagles.” The image also featured Vice President Harris holding a football while wearing an Eagles helmet and used the team’s official logo over the design.
Further contributing to the confusion surrounding the ad’s authenticity was a link at the bottom that goes to the official website of the Philadelphia Eagles encouraging voter registration, PhiladelphiaEagles.com/vote.The website does not mention any candidate or initiative by name, but with the link on a pro-Kamala ad, it could appear to a voter that the Eagles were looking to register pro-Harris voters.
Shortly after pictures of the ad started to circulate across social media, the team confirmed that the ads were fake.
“We are aware counterfeit political ads are being circulated and are working with our advertising partner to have them removed,” said the team in a post on X.
While the Eagles are working to remove the counterfeit ads, one Philadelphia resident, Joe from South Philly, took matters into his own hands.
Joe, a self-described Republican, was seen taping printouts of the team’s social statement over the false image. He said his concern wasn’t with someone voicing their opinion, but that whoever put up the fake ad “is lying to everyone who comes and uses this stop,” according to a video filmed by FOX 29 reporter Steve Keeley.
As for the origin of the fake ads, a CBS News report found that the poster was the creation of street artist Winston Tseng. Tseng is known to display similarly styled posters featuring political figures and outside brands, including a poster placed at a Philadelphia bus stop last year featuring Biden eating Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.
In a statement, the city of Philadelphia seemed to confirm that someone worked on their own to illegally display the fake poster.
“These were not digital ads placed by the Harris campaign, the Philadelphia EAGLES, SEPTA, The City of Philadelphia, or the media agency, Intersection, that handles the transit ad space. This was not a digital breach; whomever is responsible for the illegally placed posters, broke into the securely covered shelter ad space and somehow put the posters in the space.”
