On Tuesday, Australian online gambling company Sportsbet launched the latest phase in its World Cup marketing campaign by floating over the Melbourne suburbs a 46m high hot air balloon based on a statue of Jesus.
Pitched as an act of support for the country’s Socceroos football team as they ready themselves for the Brazil tournament, the balloon carried the slogan “#keep the faith”.
However, politicians and religious leaders have criticised the stunt, claiming that basing the balloon on Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Christ the Redeemer statue was inappropriate.
A Sportsbet spokesman said: "It's a balloon replica of a famous statue that is used extensively to promote the World Cup. You can't turn on the TV promotion without them showing the Christ the Redeemer all the time.
"All we've done is bring it to Australia and give it a Socceroos flavour.”
