A logoed T-shirt for a 10K race in the United Kingdom was the subject of light-hearted criticism – and cause of widespread giggling and some social media snark – because its design bore a passing resemblance to a component of the male anatomy.

The design on the dark blue T-shirt for the Dewsbury 10K in West Yorkshire, England, was supposed to resemble the outline of the Dewsbury town hall and clock tower. No doubt some saw just that. But others, yeah, not so much. Instead, some runners saw a biological apparatus they’d rather not mention in front of their grandmothers.  

Anyway, judge for yourself:

Once the shirts started to be distributed, social media did its thing. The Daily Mail reported that one online commenter named Paul Dalton posted: “Anyone else spotting an ill-advised design on the front of the commemorative #Dewsbury10K t-shirt then? No? Just me then.”

Another posted named Tim Baxter added: “Enjoyed the Dewsbury 10K this morning and smashed my PB [personal best]. Like the penis t-shirt too.”

Apparently, race organizers responded with a good-natured sense of humor to the feedback. The Huddersfield Daily Examiner reported that race organizer Bernard Disken said, “We are always anxious to raise the profile of the race, but some runners are getting a bit over-excited.”

Even so, not everyone was giggling. One female runner told the Daily Mail that she was “shocked” by the shirt and would be chucking it in the trash.

For promotional product professionals, an obvious takeaway is that good design work and diligent proofing are more important than ever in the age of social media, where a gaffe can spread like wildfire into an inferno of embarrassment for you, your clients and their brands.

But then again, maybe that lesson, while true, is a tad quotidian – or at least not all there is to learn.

After all, the Dewsbury 10k shirt received media coverage on a national scale in England, press reports show. Plus, it got people talking on social media, and though there were jibes and pushback, it all seemed generally to be meant in fun, rather than indignation. So, perhaps an ancillary lesson is that, sometimes, it can be okay to push the envelope – provided your clients are on board and prepared for the risk – in order to generate the desired buzz. It’s essential to have a firm grasp of whether something a bit cheeky, as our friends across the pond might say, will resonate with desired audiences before embarking on such an initiative. And sure, you don’t want go over the top, but something creative done in jest could catch on and be beneficial. We’re not saying that’s what the Dewsbury 10k did, but it’s food for thought.

In case you were interested, below is a pic of the Dewsbury town hall and clock tower. Seems nice - as Englandy as beans on toast, we’d say. Oh, and if you were wondering, Mohammed Abu-Reezek won the men’s race. Charlene Thomas won the woman’s competition. Certainly, they’ll have memorable T-shirts to commemorate their victories.

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