DUNEDIN, New Zealand (CMC):

Otago Cricket and Dunedin City officials have shelved their controversial marketing slogan, "It's all white here".

City and cricket officials wanted to use the slogan to promote the first Test between New Zealand and West Indies to be staged at University Oval from December 11 to 15.

"The campaign has been clearly deemed by a number of people to be offensive, which we seriously regret. We will not proceed with it," Otago Cricket chief executive Ross Dykes said.

"We just wanted a catchy phrase to help sell the game. It was all based around the association of the colour with (Test) cricket."

Promotion

The slogan was intended as a variation on a themed promotion a few years ago in which New Zealand fans were encouraged to 'black out' in support of the national rugby team, also known as the All Blacks.

But the concept angered people in New Zealand and abroad, and drew rapid fire from the West Indies Players' Association in a strongly-worded rebuke.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan said on Sunday that he will contact the West Indies Cricket Board and the West Indies Players' Association during the coming week to apologise to them about the slogan.

He added it was unfortunate that concerns over the campaign had overshadowed preparation for the upcoming tour.