Air NZ pulls billboard "Fares lower than your grandma's boobs"

[The Straight Story]

Air NZ pulls billboard over offensive calls


Air New Zealand is removing a billboard in Nelson with the tagline "Fares lower than your grandma's boobs" after it sparked complaints that it is tacky, ageist and disrespectful to women.

The billboard was advertising Air NZ's cheap seat site, Grabaseat.

Stop Demand Foundation, which campaigns against sexual violence and sex abuse, wanted the billboard taken down and an apology from Air NZ.

"Yes, most of us like 'edgy and provocative'," said Stop Demand founder Denise Ritchie.

"Most of us don't like, or accept, 'sexist and ageist'. Most of us know the difference. Apparently you do not," she said in an email to Air NZ.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/4472156/Air-NZ-pulls-billboard-over-offensive-calls

[Cirque du So-What]

1. Cocaine. It's a helluva drug.

If not cocaine, then WTF are these business execs thinking? Before this got to the billboard stage, consider how many people had to sign off on this idea, extolling the virtues of an ad campaign that makes gratuitous mention of an elderly woman's breasts.

[guitar man]

2. "tacky, ageist and disrespectful to women"

Yes it is, but try as I might, i still LOL'd!! :rofl:

[uppityperson]

5. I agree. It is tacky, ageist, disrespectful and something I would say to my sisters

Between sisters it is funny.

[guitar man]

6. Agreed

It doesn't belong on a billboard. I laughed more because I've been working in broadcasting, media and advertising for quite a while and have seen more than one ad slogan idea make it out the door that "seemed like a good idea at the time". Later on, not so much... :rofl:

[Lance_Boyle]

3. Is this the same airline with the infamous billboard advertising trips to Thailand?

"Fares so low you'll say Phuket."

[Ron Green]

4. Makes me understand a little better why Islamists want to kill

people in the grip of Western Popular Culture.

[sylveste]

7. why?

because they lack a sense of humor?

[Ron Green]

8. Yeah, that's part of it - although not so much a lack of a sense of humor as just a very

different sense of humor.

When a Western person is offended by public signs and utterances that lack grace or charm, you can be sure that a person from a ten-times-more-serious tradition will be that much more offended.

I certainly don't want to harm anybody over this, but I wince when I consider how tasteless are the fruits of the Free Market of advertising.

[Bobbieo]

9. Wow! I'm a real old grandma and I should go for free..