“You can lick the crack...”

Where was I all this time as Rico the Rat was shilling for Air New Zealand, aka ‘Sleazeland’ as a few people are calling the airline. An airline known for racy ads might be preferable to one with lousy customer service or worse, safety issues, no? The staff disagrees though, apparently not digging the character of Latin origin (think how Latinos feel being associated with a rat), going as far as calling out the company for allowing language in the ads that goes beyond what even employees are allowed to say:

“A female staff member who deals with the public said the advertising campaign was a ‘contradiction. Air New Zealand has strict internal policies for its own employees. Rico as the face of Air NZ is the reverse of that.’”

After watching most of the spots (here), you find some that are lame and some that are mildly offensive I suppose, like the one above comparing a screen to a woman. Is asking for permission ahead of time or forgiveness after the way to go if you want to get attention? You decide!