Why this cycling safety ad has sparked outcry
Germany’s transport ministry has come under fire over a controversial advertisement spruiking cycling safety.
The advert, which features a profile-shoot of a contestant from Germany’s Next Top Model wearing nothing but her underwear and a bike helmet, delivers a blunt message.
“Looks like shit, but saves my life.”
Billboards which were due to be plastered on streets around the country from Tuesday are now at risk of being canned after the women’s wing of junior coalition partners SPD labelled the campaign as sexist.
“It is embarrassing, stupid and sexist for the transport minister to be selling his policies using naked skin,” Maria Noichl, chairwoman of the SPD’s women’s wing, told local media.
Germany’s family affairs minister and SPD party member Franziska Giffey echoed her sentiment, taking aim at at conservative transport minister Andreas Scheuer on Facebook.
“Dear Andreas Scheuer: fully dressed also goes well with a helmet,” she wrote.
Despite the outcry, the ministry stood by their campaign saying “a successful road safety campaign should jolt people and can be polarising”.
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