Air Asia apologises for ‘Get off in Thailand’ ad
An Air Asia ad encouraging people to “Get off in Thailand” has been removed from Brisbane buses after being accused of promoting sex tourism.
Collective Shout, a grassroots movement against the objectification of women, took to Twitter yesterday to protest what it called a “dog whistle to sex tourists”.
“Collective Shout would like to see Air Asia follow up their apology with action. This isn’t the first time they have used sexualised advertising, so there is a pattern that needs to stop,” Coralie Alison, director of Collective Shout, told Mumbrella.
“We contacted Air Asia directly yesterday but they didn’t respond directly other than to refer us back to their earlier media comments.
“Regardless of how swiftly they act to get these ads down, the fact is, the harm has already been done and society is left to clean up the damage. Many people were involved in the design, publication and installation of these ads and they are all complicit.”
“Get off in Thailand” a dog whistle promoting #sextourism brought to you by low budget low ethics airline @AirAsia
Bangkok is a hub of sexual exploitation of women & children & 250,000 western male sex tourists visit Thailand every year. Now its just so convenient! #Shame pic.twitter.com/gykb9a2oPI
— Melinda (@MelLiszewski) March 22, 2019
Collective Shout states that 250,000 western male sex tourists visit Thailand annually, 32,000 of whom are Australian.
The ad also appears as a billboard at Brisbane airport, however the airport tweeted that it is removing the billboard as a priority, despite the “logistical challenges”.
This billboard is being removed very shortly. There are some logistical challenges, but this is a priority.
— Brisbane Airport ✈️ (@BrisbaneAirport) March 25, 2019
Melinda Liszewski, a campaigner at Collective Shout, tweeted that while Brisbane airport was responsive, Brisbane City Council was “fobbing responsibility” to Ad Standards.
“Brisbane City Council have been complicit before with ads for Sexpo, including web links to porn sites, on buses on a school route,” Alison added.
“They repeatedly refer complaints to Ad Standards knowing that the self-regulatory system is a complete failure. A new regulatory regime will be an election call.”
The bus ad in question comes after Air Asia introduced direct flights from Brisbane to Bangkok in February.
“We take community feedback extremely seriously and sincerely apologise to those who have raised concerns,” an Air Asia spokesperson told Mumbrella, stating that the campaign aimed to promote Bangkok as a final destination.
“The campaign has since ended and our media partners had the last of these advertisements removed yesterday.”
Thanks Collective Shout, you just managed to give a Brisbane poster campaign full national exposure. Hope you charged them a service fee.
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Aren’t we lucky that one of our all seeing, and oh so wise Nannies is there looking out for us, once again, and making sure we don’t say or do anything even slightly naughty. Double entendres included.
Why would the Air Asia marketing folks even acknowledge this holier than thou wowserism, let alone allow their mouths to be washed out with soap?
A visit to the Collective Shout website reveals they are a branch of the Thought Police who have many things they want banned foremost amongst them the “Wicked Camper” backpacker vans that have naughty slogans written on them along with lingerie retailer Honey Birdette’s advertising photos featuring women modelling their garments. They sound like a really fun bunch!
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That’s what happens when you get your mate to do your marketing for you
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I’m just glad this resulted in a happy ending
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The PC world at it again. Every ones offended by everything
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Oh look, white blokes defending “just a joke” advertising and “naughty slogans” that condone and collude in the exploitation and oppression of girls, women and minorities. No surprises there.
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So what are you doing about this exploitation and oppression?
Nothing but virtue-signalling as far as I can tell.
And that doesn’t get girls out of sexual slavery, does it?
Maybe instead of point scoring for your own warped satisfaction, you actually try to make a difference to those you claim to protect.
Because your current tally is… bugger all. No pun intended.
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Nothing about the Air Asia double entendre made any reference to girls, women or minorities. It just said “Get off in Thailand”. This may come as surprise, but not everyone who “gets off” is a pervert or a paedophile. Amazing how the perpetually outraged always seem to have the dirtiest, most presumptuous minds. And, as a side observation, if you’ve ever walked past a Honey Birdette store at your local Westfield (another target of the frustrated voices at Collective Shout), you’ll notice that the customers inside are almost exclusively women. Guess they must be responding positively to those advertising shots featuring other women modelling the lingerie items those stores sell. Exploitative oppressors of (other) women! They ought to be ashamed!
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Guess you would frown on
WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS
THE ROAD ?????
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From your description of the Collective Shout website and the almost weekly stories here regarding Wicked Campers and Honey Birdette, it sounds like they have found in Mumbrella a consistent way to peddle their press releases into published content.
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