An ad campaign by a United Kingdom bus company has drawn so much fire from critics for its use of topless models that it’s been forced to remove the ads.
New Adventure Travel Ltd. announced the new campaign on Twitter Monday and faced immediate backlash.
One ad shows a brunette woman holding a strategically placed placard over her naked body that reads “Ride me all day for £3.”
In another an apparently naked man holds the same sign.
Unfortunately for the company, the provocative strategy seems to have backfired brutally.
The Twitterverse blasted the ads saying, among other things, that they “promoted rape culture.”
Even singer Charlotte Church weighed in calling the ads “abhorrent” and “offensive” while calling for their immediate removal.
It looks like the company listened, because Monday afternoon it announced it would endeavor to remove all of the “offensive” ads within 24 hours.
Firstly we have stated that our objectives have been to make catching the bus attractive to the younger generation.
We therefore developed an internal advertising campaign featuring males and females to hold boards to promote the cost of our daily tickets.
The slogan of “ride me all day for £3 whilst being a little tongue in cheek was in no way intended to cause offence (sic) to either men or women and, if the advert has done so then we apologise (sic) unreservedly. There has certainly been no intention to objectify either men or women.
Given the volume of negativity received we have decided to remove the pictures from the back of the buses within the next twenty four hours.
Apparently the company forgot that in 2015, many people no longer have a sense of humor.
UPDATE: Bus firm scraps controversial ‘Ride Me All Day For £3’ ticket ad after just FOUR HOURS http://t.co/9AKjRvFez6 pic.twitter.com/zIm2vpseWJ
— Daily Star (@Daily_Star) May 11, 2015
this is dead funny @NAT_Group I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable getting on this bus at all what brill marketing pic.twitter.com/IthhREQKxu
— Erin Gillespie (@eringillespie94) May 11, 2015
Hey @NAT_Group Turns out you’re customers are whiney prudes. Too bad, great tongue in cheek campaign http://t.co/uM0JxktAJd
— Heydiddledee (@Pkjaer) May 11, 2015
@NAT_Group LOVE the bus advert that’s got some people’s heads in a spin. Your PR department need a pat on the back. #win
— Ben Ling (@benmling) May 11, 2015
@JoLiptrott @NAT_Group @EverydaySexism culture of rape??? You’re truly off your head on something petal
— Simon Hall (@simonhall1974) May 11, 2015
http://t.co/OVqTChAGhd people are offended by anything and everything nowadays. In fact they actively search for things that offend them..
— Shaun Morris (@shaunmorris84) May 11, 2015
@NAT_Group I can’t believe some of the comments re you new bus advert. Showed my wife & she thought it was ok, just tongue & cheek humor.
— Dash (@Dash145) May 11, 2015
@miladysa @NAT_Group who says? The professionally offended? No ones saying much about this one pic.twitter.com/XG543tyRNR
— Simon Hall (@simonhall1974) May 11, 2015
Hey @NAT_Group THIS IS ABHORRENT! You should remove these hugely offensive ads ASAP pic.twitter.com/EphM8N8xyI” Please complain and retweet.
— Charlotte Church (@charlottechurch) May 11, 2015
@NAT_Group My generation are not attracted to ANY product or service that promotes rape culture. I hope the idiots responsible get fired.
— Kirsty Walker (@KirstyofTARDIS) May 11, 2015
Ride me all day for £3? – no thanks @NAT_Group #objectification and #prostitution are not laughing matters… http://t.co/ISgcQrNkMa
— Female Arts (@femalearts) May 11, 2015
Hey @nat_group What the hell are you doing!!! It’s not the sexist 70s and more!! #EverydaySexism pic.twitter.com/g9zQLQCOD0
— Leslee Hopper (@LesleepHopper) May 11, 2015
Slow hand clap for @NAT_Group for this hugely offensive & sexist advert. Do they think it’s the 70s?? https://t.co/NbIu4BvQeA
— Josephine Liptrott (@JoLiptrott) May 11, 2015
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