Ford apologised Monday for an Indian ad showing Silvio Berlusconi driving off in a car with bound and gagged women in the boot. A spokeswoman for the Indian subsidiary of Ford Motor Company said the ads were drawn up by an agency working for them and never used in a campaign, and have since been removed from the agency's website.
The ad showed three women bound and gagged in the trunk of a Ford Figo with the Italian former prime minister waving a victory sign over his shoulder from the driver's seat. The tagline says "Leave your worries behind with Figo's extra-large boot." The company said it "deeply regretted" the incident, and that the images were "contrary to the standards of professionalism and decency within Ford." The ads had not been approved by company officials, it said. "Together with our partners, we are reviewing approval and oversight processes to help ensure nothing like this ever happens again," Ford said.