This time it’s an Italian company.
The Brazilian Catholic Church has threatened to sue after Italian broadcaster Rai digitally draped Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue in a soccer jersey to promote its coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. A church lawyer for the Archdiocese of Rio compared the “blasphemous” move to making a commercial in which “mulatto girls engaged in lewd behavior with the gladiators of the Coliseum.” “The Archdiocese is deeply offended,” Rodrigo Grazioli told O Globo, confirming that the church is considering slapping Rai with a $5.4 million lawsuit. If they win, the church promises to give the money to a charitable organization.
The commercial is at the link.