This Won’t Fly: Ryanair’s Sexist Ad Banned

Ryanair sure knows how to get free publicity—so why even bother spending money on ads? According to the BBC, two newspaper advertisements from the budget airline have been banned following 17 complaints. The ads featured real Ryanair cabin crew members posing in underwear, underneath the headline “Red Hot Fares and Crew.” (Personally, we find the advertised 9.99 GBP fare even more offensive, as there’s no way that will be the real price of a ticket.)

According to Britain’s regulatory board, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the ads were not banned due to the clothing, but because the headline combined with the provocative photo of real cabin crew members could imply certain things about all Ryanair staff. A Ryanair flight attendant led the charge against the ads, creating an online petition that currently has over 11,000 signatures.

The scandalous ad photos came from a Ryanair cabin crew charity calendar. The airline’s head of communications, Stephen McNamara, told the Guardian that they will continue to advertise the annual calender, and also stated, “The PC quacks at the ASA received just 17 complaints about ads for the 2012 Ryanair calendar, and every year 10,000 people buy a copy of our calendar to help raise 100,000 [pounds]to change the lives of those who need help the most, and for this reason Ryanair will continue to produce, promote and advertise our charity calendars.”

This is not the first time the sleazy airline’s been in trouble with the ASA. It previously had ads banned for featuring models dressed up as sexy schoolgirls. You stay classy, Ryanair.

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(Photo: Shutterstock/Andrey Laschev)