Following on from the contretemps with Sarko, our favourite cheeky publicists and soundbite creators have been at it again. Ryanair's saucy schoolgirl picture in an atisement this week has caused an almighty kerfuffle. The Advertising Standards Authority drew the line at the advert featuring a model in schoolgirl-style clothes and a headline "hottest back to school fares". They said the "irresponsible" image appeared to link teenage girls with sexually provocative behaviour.
The advert shows the model with a bare midriff in a short skirt, tie, shirt and knee-high socks in a classroom. Ryanair refused to withdraw the image, but ASA dismissed this as "PR bluster".
After an investigation, the watchdog ruled the advert breached the advertising code's rules on social responsibility and decency.
"It is remarkable that a picture of a fully-clothed model is now claimed to cause 'serious or widespread offence', when many of the UK's leading daily newspapers regularly run pictures of topless or partially-dressed females without causing any serious or widespread offence," said Peter Sherrard, head of communications for the airline.
"This isn't advertising regulation, it is simply censorship. This bunch of unelected self-appointed dimwits are clearly incapable of fairly and impartially ruling on advertising." He's clearly a chip off the old Ryanair block when it comes to punchy retorts!
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