Really don't think they had to advertise but gotta admire the the effort.

From The Nation (26 Mar.)

AirAsia has now apologised following an advertising campaign using the phrase “Get off in Thailand” was posted around the city of Brisbane to promote the airline’s direct route to Bangkok.

Collective Shout, a campaign movement against the objectification of women says the marketing gaff promoted sex tourism in Thailand.

Melinda Liszewski, a campaigner at Collective Shout accused the airline of “promoting sex tourism.”

Air Asia has responded… “AirAsia takes community feedback extremely seriously and the airline sincerely apologises for any inconvenience caused from recent concerns raised.”

“AirAsia can confirm the advertising campaign has ended and we instructed our media partners to have the advertising removed as soon as possible today from all locations.”

Brisbane City councillor Kara Cook branded the campaign an “absolute disgrace” and said “it should never have appeared on our city’s streets.”

The Australian regulator Ad Standards said while it had not received any complaints about the advertising on the bus, it had received one complaint about the same advertisement on a billboard.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30366562

I thought a very clever ad campaign.

A pity they have to end this due to objectification of women when no women were used in the production of the ads lol

Is getting off  applicable to a specific gender only? 

Definitely not in thailand. 

On 3/27/2019 at 4:00 AM, Michael said:

I thought a very clever ad campaign.

Either very clever or very naive? My guess is very clever. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Perhaps, just perhaps, more people learned about Air Asia's new route from the controversy than from the side of a bus.  But I don[t want to be cynical...

That is one of the reason this ads is clever. Bad press is still a good publicity. And those who really would boycott the aircraft due to this would be minor, especially when they immediately took off the ads and apologize. But the "ads" picture is still being circulated around so they have done a great job in marketing.