Too Hot For Print
Ryanair, one of Europe’s leading low-cost carriers, is known for their deals. They make travel affordable for many students abroad. Sometime you can get flights for only $20 or $30. The airline recently got into some hot water with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The ASA banned their latest ads promoting a back to school fare. According to the guardian the ad was banned because “it could cause widespread offence because the image linked teenage girls with sexually provocative behaviour.” Ryanair will not pull the ad, claiming that the ASA is being “absurd” and practicing selective censorship. Have a look at the ad for yourself. It’s pretty PG-13 to me. There are plenty of things out there worst than this school girl ad. Just watch MTV for 20 minutes. 
Ryanair does have the lowest back to school fares in Europe and now they have our attention. Thanks to the ASA, Ryanair is getting millions worth of free publicity.
Filed under: Advertising, Luis Carranza, Personal Opinions, Television Marketing, VCU Brandcenter
Lame.
Actaully the ad grabs my attn!!! then i have to realize what they are advertising for. (not schoolbooks, but airfares) it’s pretty tame to me. The abercrombie and fitch ads are worse than this one.
Please. It is PG 13 but you cant make an ad depicting scantily clad schools girls and not have a clear grasp on what your implying. Im pretty sure that male students arent thinking low fares the minute they see the ad.To assume otherwise is to say we are all that stupid. Maybe the owners of the ad should be adults and step up to the message they are throwing out. Im not saying they should be censored , just admit to the type of ad they knowingly created.
I agree with Firetop. I’m no more for censorship than any other communications professional, but I am for sense and sensibility. The obvious play to schoolgirl porn offered on backpage ads (and I credit the agency for cleverly aping the look, right down to the use of b