The no-frills airline Ryan- air has Brits up in arms over a new ad campaign.
The ad blitz by the European carrier has prompted a barrage of complaints from critics who call it “crass, offensive and insensitive” in the wake of the London bombings.
The U.K.’s advertising watchdog has received more than 100 complaints about the “London Fights Back” ad that mocks a famous speech by Winston Churchill, according to reports in British papers.
The full-page ad – which appeared in national papers last week touting a fare sale – depicts the World War II leader in a uniform smoking a cigar.
A cartoon bubble quotes lines from his rallying 1940 speech: “We shall fly them to the beaches, we shall fly them to the hills, we shall fly them to London!”
The tagline reads, “Let’s Keep London Flying.”
A spokesman for Ryanair, who couldn’t be reached for comment by press time, defended the campaign in an interview with the U.K.’s Guardian.
Peter Sherrard, the head of communications for Ryanair, said Churchill was a trusted figurehead who brought comfort to the country during wartime.
“We are trying to ensure that the terrorists don’t succeed in paralyzing people with fear, which is their primary objective, and that people continue to lead their lives as normal and continue to fly,” he told the paper.
Ryanair has no plans to pull the ad despite complaints, according to reports.
Ryanair said bookings declined about 10 percent in the four days following the bombings, but executives said a fare sale would help reverse that trend.