
On social media the action ignited debate far beyond basketball circles. The reactions to the swap of jersey colours were instantaneous. Before that match, both team Captains took the opportunity to give a short speech in memory of the victims. This year's match coincided exactly with the International Week against Racism, which was once again an impulse for both teams to clearly declare their opposition to hatred and racism. The match against Giessen has special significance in Hanau: it was the first game after the attacks. The match day on which the jersey swap took place was deliberately chosen to give the campaign maximum attention and underline the symbolic character of the gesture. The campaign was initiated and implemented by Serviceplan Campaign, together with jersey sponsor PEAK Sport. An essential idea that goes far beyond the realm of sport, with both teams taking a firm stand against racially motivated violence and in favor of pluralistic and tolerant coexistence. The special edition jerseys were emblazoned with one central message: Colour makes no difference. Two years later, German basketball once again remembered the victims in an extraordinary call to stand together against hate, and push for more diversity, respect and tolerance.įor the first time in their history, home team WHITE WINGS Hanau and the guests of the Depant GIESSEN 46ers broke their club statutes to set an unprecedented sign against racism: the teams swapped jerseys and played in the traditional club colours of their opponents. It remains the deadliest racially motivated attack in the post-war history of Germany and has left deep scars on the psyche of the city’s population. The sole motive: the victims’ immigration background. On February 19, 2020, nine men and women were murdered in the German city of Hanau, near Frankfurt. The creative concept and communicative implementation came from Serviceplan Campaign.
#First ever palette swap skin#
Not in sports and certainly not when it comes to skin colour’. The special edition jerseys proclaimed in big letters: ‘Colour makes no difference. For one extraordinary match, home team WHITE WINGS Hanau and their opponents Depant GIESSEN 46ers exchanged their jerseys. For the International Week against Racism, Hanau’s basketball team made a clear statement to not forget, to stand up to racist hate and embrace diversity and tolerance. Two years later and the attack is still fresh in people’s minds.


Unfortunately, racism continues to be a problem in Germany, an issue which once again reached its tragic climax in February 2020 when a racially motivated terrorist killed nine people before killing himself in the city of Hanau near Frankfurt. While teams are loved for the color of their clubs, people are hated for the color of their skin.
