Adidas called for foul over racy World Cup T-shirts

An Adidas marketing campaign that was apparently intended to, um, increase the number of passes attempted at this summer’s World Cup soccer tournament has run afoul of Brazilian authorities, who have asked the company to stop selling a pair of racy T-shirts.

One design shows a woman on a beach in a bikini, arms open, next to the caption “Lookin’ to Score.” The other features an “I Love Brazil” heart with the heart made to resemble an inverted buttocks wearing a thong bikini.

The reaction at the Brazilian tourist board, Embratur, was as angry as it was swift.

“Embratur strongly repudiates the sale of products that link Brazil’s image to sexual appeal,” it said in a statement in which it went on to link “such an attitude” to child exploitation.

Adidas, the world’s second-largest sports apparel company and a major World Cup sponsor as well as the maker of the tournament’s official match ball, said the shirts were part of a limited edition that was for sale only in the U.S.

A search of Adidas’ website Wednesday morning showed the shirts were no longer available.