Ford India apologise over ‘demeaning’ adverts

THE Indian arm of Ford Motors has apologised for adverts decried as demeaning to women, including one depicting Italy’s former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi with a trio of bound women in the boot of a car.

A Ford India spokeswoman said the company is investigating whether anyone at the carmaker ever saw the print ads, which were never used commercially but appeared over the weekend on a website showcasing creative advertising.

The ads caused an uproar online and came just after India passed a new law on violence against women following a fatal gang rape of a student on a bus that prompted mass protests and spotlighted the status of women in India.

One ad showed three women bound and gagged in the boot of an Indian-made car, the Ford Figo, with Mr Berlusconi smiling from the driver’s seat. A slogan read: “Leave your worries behind with the Figo’s extra-large boot.”

Ford said it regrets the incident, calling the images “contrary to the standards of professionalism and decency within Ford.”