Spirit pulls risque ad at request of Colombia government
A Spirit Airlines Inc. plane on the tarmac at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport.
Spirit Airlines' "more bang for your buck" sale didn't last long.
Late last week, Spirit launched a risque ad campaign aimed at profiting from a Secret Service prostitution scandal in Colombia. By Sunday, the airline had pulled its ads at the request of the Colombian government.
“The publicity subliminally reminds of an embarrassing event involving the Secret Service in Cartagena, a city that deserves respect,” the Colombian government said in a statement published by Bloomberg.
In its own statement, Spirit said it "meant no disrespect" by the ad, NBCMiami.com said.
Spirit is among the lowest-priced US carriers offering nonstop flights to Colombia.
In the days after news broke that more than a dozen US Secret Service agents and military members had been partying with prostitutes in Cartagena, Spirit launched an ad campaign featuring women clad in pink bikinis and a man wearing sunglasses and an earpiece.
A lot of people weren't happy about it, particularly in Florida where Spirit's nonstop flights to Colombia originate.
"Colombia's more than this," Fabio Andrade told NBC Miami. "We have worked so hard to change the image of Colombia … and to do this is denigrating. And people are very offended by this."
Check out this Storify to see the ad and how the mess it sparked played out online:
The article you just read is free because dedicated readers and listeners like you chose to support our nonprofit newsroom. Our team works tirelessly to ensure you hear the latest in international, human-centered reporting every weekday. But our work would not be possible without you. We need your help.
Make a gift today to help us reach our $25,000 goal and keep The World going strong. Every gift will get us one step closer.