Topless women are riding buses all over town -- at least as advertisements. A new ad campaign meant to encourage bus riding is making jaws drop everywhere. The ads feature topless men and women holding signs reading "Ride me all day."
I mean, gosh golly, how could anyone possibly read that the wrong way? After people picked their jaws back up from the ground they began complaining, tweeting their displeasure at the sexually suggestive ads.
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Hey @NAT_Group THIS IS ABHORRENT! You should remove these hugely offensive ads ASAP pic.twitter.com/EphM8N8xyI”
Please complain and retweet.
— Charlotte Church (@charlottechurch) May 11, 2015Welsh singer-songwriter Charlotte Church got into the mix, inciting her followers (and everyone else in Cardiff, Wales) to complain. I especially feel this Tweet.
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.@nat_group HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO EXPLAIN THIS AD TO MY PRIMARY SCHOOL KIDS?? Thanks but no thanks, won't be taking advantage #everydaysexism
— Michelle Davis (@michelledavis) May 11, 2015Right? "Mommy, why is that lady naked, and what does she mean by 'ride me all day'?" Obviously you can say, "She means you can ride the bus all day. And she's naked because some ad company is run by senseless arsebrains." But do you really want to, first thing in the morning especially?
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Some thought the ads seemed rapey and promoted sexism. But clearly this is promoting prostitution, and in an equal-opportunity way. £3 is cheap for a day rate, but at least that's apparently the going rate for both women and men in Cardiff.
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Don't worry men, your bodies aren't immune from the sexualisation of @NAT_group either! Terrible marketing. pic.twitter.com/24KHF6LcIz
— Vicky Chandler (@VickyChandler) May 11, 2015The bus company, New Adventure Travel, apologized swiftly and promised to undress their buses of the ads post haste.
The slogan of ‘Ride me all day for £3,’ whilst being a little tongue in cheek was in no way intended to cause offense to either men or women and, if the advert has done so then we apologize unreservedly.
There has certainly been no intention to objectify either men or women. Given the volume of negativity received we have decided to remove the pictures from the back of the buses within the next 24 hours.
Oh, but does anyone in Wales (or anywhere else on Planet Earth with Internet access) NOT know that you can ride New Adventure Travel's buses all day for just £3? Didn't think so. In the annals of "It's better to beg for forgiveness than as for permission" I guess we'd have to consider this a job well done.
How would you feel if you saw these ads -- with your kids -- in your town?
Image via New Adventure Travel Group/Twitter