Audi has dropped an advert depicting a little girl holding a banana in front of a high-performance car after streams of criticism over it being ‘sexually suggestive’ on social media.
The carmaker apologised for the photograph, which was accompanied by the slogan “Lets your heart beat faster – in every aspect” via Twitter and confirmed it would not be used in the future.
“We hear you and let’s get this straight: We care for children”, the firm commented. Adding: “We sincerely apologize for this insensitive image and ensure that it will not be used in future.”
“The Audi RS 4 is a family car with more than thirty driver assistance systems including an emergency break system. That’s why we showcased it with various family members for the campaign.”
Critics told Audi they believed the photograph was “provocative”, “life-threatening”, with many pointing out that both sports cars and bananas were ‘symbols of male lust’, the BBC reported.
The firm says it is now investigating how the advert came to be published.
