AfD's sticker promotion has been discontinued.
Borussia Dortmund, the renowned German football club, has taken a firm stance against the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party for using the club's iconic black and yellow colors in a political campaign sticker ahead of regional elections.
The AfD sticker, which read "Black and yellow in football - blue on Sunday" (blue being AfD's color), unlawfully implied a link between the club and the AfD’s political stance, falsely suggesting that Borussia Dortmund fans should or must vote for AfD. The club demanded the AfD’s Dortmund district association and MP Matthias Helferich to sign a cease-and-desist declaration to stop this unauthorized use, citing that it contradicts the club’s values.
Dortmund's spokesman emphasized that this campaign was an attempt to appropriate the club’s identity to endorse a political message, which the club firmly rejects to avoid misleading fans. The AfD has a history of controversial, far-right rhetoric, which adds to the sensitivity of the unauthorized usage of Borussia Dortmund’s symbols.
The club's legal move aimed to prevent the party from further implying association or endorsement by the club. Reactions include Dortmund successfully stopping the AfD’s campaign stickers through cease-and-desist procedures, showing the club’s strong opposition to politicization of its brand and colors.
The AfD, particularly Matthias Helferich, maintained that fans would still vote for the party despite legal setbacks. Helferich and the AfD's mayoral candidate, Heiner Garbe, offered to donate 5000 euros to a children's hospice, but BVB did not respond.
The legal opinion issued by BVB's lawyers reinforces their position on the matter. The AfD local branch in Dortmund is subject to a fixed fine for each breach of the cease and desist order. The party must bear the court costs of approximately 4000 euros due to the breach of contract.
The implications of this case highlight the complexities at the intersection of politics and sports branding. Football clubs like Borussia Dortmund are protective of their identity and fanbase, seeking to distance themselves from political affiliations, especially extreme right-wing parties. Legally, this case reinforces how clubs can and will challenge unauthorized use of their intellectual property to prevent political appropriation that can damage their reputation or contradict their values. Additionally, similar actions included the City of Dortmund opposing AfD's use of the city coat of arms on election posters, indicating a broader municipal resistance to the party's branding tactics.
- The legal action taken by Borussia Dortmund against the AfD serves to prevent any future politicization of the football club's brand and colors.
- This case in Dortmund reveals the intricate relationship between politics and sports branding, as football clubs strive to distance themselves from political affiliations, particularly extreme right-wing parties, to preserve their identity and uphold their values.
