Nike said it would investigate the “misuse” of its logo on knock-off products branded with a slur against the Gypsy Romani in Europe.
The fake items, which have now been taken off of Ebay and Amazon, included baby clothes, hoodies, bags and fridge magnets.
They were all branded with the offensive slur “Pikey”—thought to come from the English world “turnpike dweller” which used to describe gypsies and itinerant travelers in early 19th century—alongside the tagline “Just Nick It” instead of “Just Do It.”
The listings were flagged by Dr. Hazel Marsh, a Romani Gypsy and a lecturer at the University of East Anglia, who told BBC Newsbeat she complained to Nike because she was afraid the items would encourage stigma and racial hatred towards the traveling community.
Much to her surprise, the sportswear company responded with a letter thanking her for telling them about the “misuse” of their logo.
“We here at Nike respect and appreciate every one of our consumers no matter what their race, age or gender is.”
Sherrie Smith, a Romani Gypsy businesswoman who runs a website where racist abuse against gypsies can be reported, told Newsbeat she finds the term “pikey” extremely offensive.
“That word is a disgusting word. It’s exactly the same as the n-word.”
Lisa Smith, a 25-year-old Romany Gypsy activist, concurred, saying the word has entered daily vocabulary and that too few people see it as a slur.
“We’re almost immune to it” she said “Ask an Asian person how they feel about the ‘p-word’. Ask a black person, how they feel about the ‘n-word’.
“I do feel as though it [being anti-Gypsy] is the last acceptable form of racism that we still have in society.”
A spokesperson for Ebay told the news site that anyone found selling these items on their marketplace would risk having their accounts restricted or suspended.
Amazon, meanwhile, confirmed they had taken down two listings of the fake products.
