Twitter users defended German carmaker Audi after it retracted an ad showing a young girl leaning on the company's latest car and eating a banana. The ad's release triggered a section of people who believed that it sexualized the young girl.
On Sunday, Audi posted a tweet with the ad and captioned it: "Lets your heart beat faster – in every aspect. #AudiRS4." However, not many people were impressed by the advert. People accused Audi of sexualizing the young girl and calling the marketing campaign one of the "dumbest."
Twitter Weighs In
"This has to be one of the dumbest ad campaigns of all times. How many execs did ok that photo?," one Twitter user wrote. Another user tweeted: "I don't know who came up with this idea, but showing how little you are concerned about the safety of children in the streets with this ad is either painfully honest or painfully stupid."
One person stated: "With a top speed of 174mph this car should be illegal based on how many kids it will likely kill through both speed and contributory pollution. Instead you want to sell this car USING A CHILD? Probably Audi's lowest moment."
Audi Issues An Apology
Following the mounting criticism, Audi issued a statement apologizing for the ad and said the company cared for children. "We sincerely apologize for this insensitive image and ensure that it will not be used in future. We will also immediately examine internally, how this campaign has been created and if control mechanisms failed in this case," the company posted on Twitter.
However, some Twitter users were quick to defend the carmaker and said it need not apologize for the advert. They also said people who found the ad to be problematic were the only ones to find the ad "provocative."
"If you think the new Audi advert sexualises the little girl then honestly you are the problem, who the f*** sees a kid eating a banana and thinks it's sexual???," one user tweeted in support of the Audi ad.
