Press release - Underarmour advert featuring my work was unauthorised

Recently the sportswear firm, UnderArmour, heavily featured my street art piece, “For all Liverpool’s Liver Birds” in an online video advert featuring the Liverpool Player, Trent Alexander-Arnold.

I wish to make it clear that I was not approached and gave no permissions for the use of my artwork in this video. The “wings” were always meant as a fun piece for the public to enjoy and not for advertising products. I have made exceptions to a couple of small charities whom had the integrity of approaching me in the correct manner.

I am particularly disappointed in this development as UnderArmour are well reported to have sponsored and supported big game hunting (such as elephants, tigers, lions etc). This is something I am against and I personally made the decision to boycott their products a year or so ago. This is also the main reason I was upset with the use of my work in this advert. I have absolutely no issues with Mr Alexander-Arnold.

The artwork is a public piece and I encourage people to take photos with it and enjoy it, that is the whole point, but I am against firms using the artwork for advertising. Legally, despite being public, they remain an intellectual property, and as such should not be used commercially without agreement (similar to how you can’t use a song in an advert just because it has been on the radio) .

I wish also to state that UnderArmour verbally apologised in a phone call but my request for a public apology on their social media sites was declined. I also asked for the videos to be removed.