SEX ADVERT SCANDAL!
Ford Shocked by Sexist Pose Ads, Apologizes …Fires Indian Executives, engage in damage control globally
- Berlusconi, ex-Italian Prime Minister, Kardashian sisters dragged into scandal
- Rape cases high in Indian, Parliament passes bill to crack down on sex crimes
- “All of us were shocked”-Ford’s Global Marketing/Sales Chief
FORD, America’s leading auto firm is presently ‘fighting’ on all fours to ensure it clears the ‘sex advert scandal’ hanging on the reputation of the company as a result of a careless advert campaign carried by the auto firm’s leading Indian executives, who were sacked, while thorough investigations had been put in place to prevent a reoccurrence.
The sex-ads, greatly condemned globally attracted scathing remarks to the auto firm, as a result of the ‘unpleasant message’ in the advertisement which showed women tied up in the trunk of a Ford driven by ex-Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and the Kardashian sisters gagged at the trunk of the car; invariably against the company’s policies.
Ford Reaction
According to a statement issued by chief marketing executive of Ford Motor Co, he reportedly said that “We were shocked”, by series of Indian poster advertisements that included one showing women tied up in the trunk of a Ford driven by former Italian Prime Minister, Berlusconi.
Naija Standard learnt the Indian company executives that produced the ads were fired, while the embattled directors earlier sacked their employees who played prominent roles in the design.
In the words of Jim Farley, Ford’s global marketing/sales chief: “All of us were shocked because we’ve updated, of course, all of our creative review process. We take this matter very seriously.”
Farley spoke at a breakfast before hundreds of industry executives at the New York auto show recently. Naija Standard observed that the ads appeared days after India approved a tougher new law to punish sex crimes, following the fatal gang rape of a student in December. That attack sparked unprecedented protests over the treatment of women in the country. Employees at JWT India, a unit of the largest global advertising group WPP, produced the ads.
Ex-Italian Minister showed in sex image
One of the posters shows Berlusconi, who is charged in Italy with paying for sex with a minor, sitting in the front seat of a Ford Figo hatchback flashing a victory sign, with a trio of half-dressed women bound and gagged in the trunk.
Kardashian Sisters too…
Another featured a caricature of Paris Hilton in the driver’s seat, with three women resembling fellow celebrities the Kardashian sisters bound in the trunk with the tagline, “Leave your worries behind with Figo’s extra large boot.”
The ads were uploaded to an industry website. On Tuesday, JWT India issued a statement saying it had fired some of its employees.
It reads: “We deeply regret the publishing of posters that were distasteful and contrary to the standards of professionalism and decency at JWT. These were never intended for paid publication, were never requested by our Ford client and should never have been created, let alone uploaded to the Internet.”
The statement said the posters did not go through the agency’s normal review and oversight process. India has taken heat for its seemingly indifferent attitude on violence against women – made worse by the fact that over 50 members of the Indian Parliament face outstanding charges related to sex crimes. The Parliament last week passed a new measure designed to crack down on rape.
EDITOR’S NOTE: We hope other firms would learn some lessons from this scandal!
