Vietnamese low cost carrier, VietJetAir, has been once again slammed for using bikini-clad models in what looks like another controversial promotional PR stunt.
The photographs (see video below) were leaked on popular lingerie model Ngoc Trinh’s Facebook page last week and show flirtatious models posing whilst wearing skimpy outfits in the airline’s red and yellow colours. Trinh captioned her photo album with: ‘Just finished shooting promo photos for VietJet Air for 12 hours nonstop from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm.’
Not surprisingly the photos went viral on Facebook and in turn attracted negative reviews, with many stating that the airline was objectifying women in using them to promote their brand.
An airline executive denied that the photos were official photos of the carrier’s next advertising campaign. Vu Pham Nguyen Tung, the airline’s development director, said the photos were taken during a trial photo shooting for VietJet Air. ‘We have yet to decide if we will use these photos or not,’ he told Thanh Nien News, denying that the leakage of the photos was just a ‘PR ploy’ employed by VietJet Air.
See: Vietjet Air Safety Rating
This is not the first time VietJet Air has been in the headlines for “inappropriate” promotion of its brand.
In 2012, the airline was fined 1000USD by the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam for having its flight attendants perform a Hawaiian dance in bikinis on its inaugural flight between Ho Chi Minh City and the coastal town of Nha Trang. However in May it again used bikini wearing dancers to celebrate the launch of its Ho Chi Minh – Singapore route.
Suggested Read: Our Editors review of VietJet Air
