POLL: TG4 split opinion with attention-grabbing ad for Ladies Football

TG4 sponsor the Ladies All-Ireland Football Championship and are enthusiastic promoters of women’s sports, but they have polarised opinion with their latest ad campaign.

Captioned “the most important nine months of a woman’s life”, the image shows a female player cradling a gaelic football as if it was a pregnancy bump.

There has been plenty of positive reaction to the image, with people describing it as powerful and arresting.

But many fans of the woman’s game and sport in general, have spoken out against the ad - which they feel focuses on the players primarily as women rather than footballers.

@mary_white33 that's shockingly bad! It doesn't promote the right message at all!!! #lgfa @SportTG4 @TG4TV https://t.co/h4YqNHpBKT

— Leah Barbour (@PProductions_ie) July 20, 2015

@mary_white33 @LadiesFootball disgraceful & inappropriate are the words that come to mind.Really don't know what they were thinking.

— Áine Máire Uí Cholmáin (@amosc1111) July 20, 2015

Some of the commentators feel that the ad creators meant well, but by focusing the attention back on motherhood they are reinforcing stereotypes.

@scully_d @mary_white33 @LadiesFootball can see why it offends but is it not doin what an ad shud? Get people talking about the topic #lgfa

— john dineen (@rebeldineen) July 20, 2015

There is no doubt that it is a powerful, attention-grabbing image. What do you think?