Audi has apologized for an advertisement that shows an image of a young girl eating a banana while she stands in front of an Audi RS 4 Avant.
The apology was issued after outcry from critics on Twitter who pointed to perceived numerous flaws in the ad from the overt sexualization of the child because of the banana involved to the potential danger the child was in because she was standing in front of a parked vehicle that can go up to 174 mph.
Lets your heart beat faster – in every aspect. #AudiRS4 pic.twitter.com/14XaKhlRVL
— AudiOfficial (@AudiOfficial) August 2, 2020
Though this is the first advertising slip up this year for the Audi brand, it’s the second major ad folly for Volkswagen Group, Audi’s parent company. In May, the company became embroiled in a controversy surrounding an advertisement that features a dark-skinned man being maneuvered around by the hands of a white woman. As the ad developed, the dark-skinned man ended up being flicked away from a yellow Volkswagen Golf, all while upbeat music played in the background.