Ryanair has been slapped on the wrist by a UK watchdog agency for an ad featuring a (naughty) school girl twirling her hair with the slogan "HOTTEST back to school fares".
The watchdog group says that the way she's standing, what she's wearing, and the slogan all "appeared to link teenage girls with sexually provocative behavior". In the words of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen on Full House, "Duh." The ad ran in three newspapers last summer, and they claim that the ad will "serious or widespread offense" if ran again, but Ryanair don't seem to see what all the fuss is about.
Peter Sherrad, a spokesman for Ryanair says, "It is remarkable that a picture of a fully clothed model is now claimed to cause 'serious or widespread offense. This isn't advertising regulation, it is simply censorship." Ryanair have a history of angering people with their adverts. For example, French President Nicolas Sarkozy's spokesperson says the President is going to take legal action against Ryanair for using a photo of him and his girlfriend in a new advert.
Also, Spain's government-run Women's Institute took action against the airline when they featured a calendar with women dressed as flight attendants suggestive blowing up a life preserver, and washing a plane. Ryanair scoffed and said the women posed voluntarily, and that the proceeds from the calendar went to charity.
[via AP]