England team's World Cup kit teaser accused of being AI slop

The England men's football team teased an announcement of what would turn out to be their new kits on Twitter a few days ago. But it didn't quite get the reaction they had hoped for.

The five-second video showed a car waiting outside the 'Three Lions Inn', but eagle-eyed viewers soon spotted that there was another, stranger sign below that.

"IV Omree Lionss" it read. Not exactly up there with the best sports logos.

The responses poured in, with one person saying "Hi just wondering if whoever signed off on this can tell me what "IV omree lionss" means? Looking forward to your response!" with others simply calling out "AI slop".

Another person said: "England is host to some of the best artists and graphic designers in the world and you're using AI? Do better."

“The reaction to this shows how quickly audiences are becoming attuned to AI-generated content, and how ready they are to call it out," says Chris Coussons, founder of digital marketing agency Visionary. "We are seeing a shift where it’s no longer just about the campaign itself, but how it has been created.

"If something feels overly artificial or poorly executed, people are focussing on that rather than the message that the brand is trying to land. Coca-Cola saw similar backlash around its use of AI in Christmas advertising, which highlights a wider challenge for brands.

"There's no disputing that AI can be a powerful tool for marketers, but the growing level of scrutiny from audiences is something that every brand needs to be aware of. If it impacts quality or authenticity, it risks undermining trust and engagement.

"The brands that will get this right are the ones using AI to enhance creativity, rather than replace it, and are making sure that outputs are consistent and of genuine quality."

England went on to announce its World Cup kits (see above). We haven't seen another mention of the mysterious IV Omree Lionss yet.