Ford Figo's unapproved ads cause international controversy

Ford India has had to deal with severe criticism after three distasteful ads created by its ad agency - JWT India - were uploaded online.

It appears that the unapproved ads were uploaded on advertising website adsoftheworld.com, by a division within JWT India that caters to Ford's account. 

The ads showed celebrities like Michael Schumacher, Silvio Berlusconi and Paris Hilton with other people bound and gagged in the Figo's boot. The accompanying tagline for the ad says "Leave your worries behind. With Figo's Extra Large Boot".

The ad with Michael Schumacher has Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso gagged in the Figo's trunk. Click here (Ford's new Ad sparks International Controversy!) to see all three ads. 

The ads have since been removed from the website. They caused an uproar on social media and both, Ford and JWT India, have released official apologies. Ford clarified that the posters were not created for commercial use and that they should have never been created.

JWT released the following statement “We deeply regret the publishing of posters that were distasteful and contrary to the standards of professionalism and decency within WPP Group. These were never intended for paid publication and should never have been created, let alone uploaded to the internet. This was the result of individuals acting without proper oversight and appropriate actions have been taken within the agency where they work to deal with the situation.”