How Ryanair Managed to Make a Charity Calendar into a Sexism Scandal

December 13, 2012 at 11:41 AM | by Omri | Comments (2)

This. This right here. This is what we're talking about when we say we're giving up on the debate over Ryanair and its aggressive douchebaggery. The airline goes out of its way to insult its customers, and yet finds itself rewarded with consistent profits. So why shouldn't it treat its own staff in the same disrespectful way?

The question kind of answers itself, doesn't it?

Like many companies, Ryanair published a holiday calendar this year with the proceeds going to charity. Unlike most companies, the Ryanair calendar featured its employees in bikinis. Unlike any other company that we're aware of, the airline then proceeded to bundle the calendar into a marketing campaign about "Red Hot Fares and Crew," essentially offering up its "red hot" crew as one of the reasons travelers should prefer the airline over its rivals.

You don't need to read an extensive article unpacking all the ways that it's a bad idea to specifically invite customers to ogle female flight attendants, but just in case you want to there's one right here. Would you believe that this is at least the second time Ryanair has pulled this kind of stunt? Nine months ago the the airline was forced to withdraw a similar campaign earlier after the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) ruled that "most readers would interpret these images... as linking female cabin crew with sexually suggestive behaviour."

So what's the result? Record sales for the calendar and 350,000 views of a "behind-the-scenes" YouTube video. So again, this is why we can't have the Ryanair debate with you people any more. You make us sad.

[Photo: Ryanair]

Jaunted

Select a Destination:

Ryanair / Sex Travel / Travel Advertising / Travel Industry / Bad Ideas / → All Tags