Ford’s India unit offers apology for sexist ad

3/26/2013

MUMBAI, India — The Indian unit of Ford Motor Co. has apologized for advertisements decried as demeaning to women, including one depicting Italy’s former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi with a trio of bound women in the trunk of a car.

A Ford India spokesman said Monday that the company is investigating whether anyone at the automaker ever saw the print ads, which were never used commercially but appeared over the weekend on a Web site showcasing creative advertising.

A similar ad featured Paris Hilton apparently kidnapping reality television rivals the Kardashian sisters.

Ford said Monday that it regrets the incident, calling the images “contrary to the standards of professionalism and decency within Ford.”