Not hot enough: airline's bikini model ad banned

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Not hot enough: airline's bikini model ad banned

Not hot enough for bikinis ... Ryanair's ad has been banned.

Not hot enough for bikinis ... Ryanair's ad has been banned.

An airline's newspaper advertisement featuring a bikini-clad model has been banned by the United Kingdom's advertising watchdog - because it wasn't hot enough.

The ad, for budget carrier Ryanair, encouraged people to "book to the sun" for flights in February and March and featured an image of a sunbathing model, wearing a bikini and drinking a cocktail.

The Advertising Standards Authority received a complaint that the destinations included in the promotion were not warm enough in February and March to warrant the type of outfit worn by the model in the ad.

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The ASA agreed, upholding the complaint.

While noting the destinations "enjoyed significant daytime sunshine in February and March", the authority said the average daily temperatures at the time of year were too chilly for visitors to be wearing swimwear.

The authority found the average daily maximum temperatures were "between 11°C and 14°C for the warmest three destinations; between 6°C and 9°C for most of the destinations and between 0°C and 4°C for the coldest destination".

"We considered that the average consumer would infer from the claim 'Book to the sun now' and the image of the woman sunbathing, in a bikini, with a cocktail, that the promotion included fares to destinations warm enough to sunbathe in swimwear during the promotional period," the authority said.

The ASA dismissed claims in two other complaints that the ad was misleading because the flights could not be booked at the discounted price advertised.

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The airline has been ordered not to run the ad again.

- theage.com.au

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