In F1's Footsteps: Swiss Watch Company Abandons Ads Featuring Semi-Nude Models

The move came a couple of weeks after Formula One announced its decision to abandon the practice of using scantily clad grid girls standing in front of cars before the start of a race.
Sputnik

Swiss watch company Breitling that has long been known for its retro-style advertisements, capturing women in revealing clothing, will put an end to the practice, the company's CEO Georges Kern told Sonntags Zeitung.

Kern, who was appointed to his new post in August 2017, said that he decided to stop the advertising campaign "immediately," as it was completely out of place in the modern world.

"Some customers find it amusing. But such advertising no longer suits the company and does not reflect the values of modern society," Kern said.

The widely known advertisements that the company want to get rid of depicted women dressed in revealing shorts and assisting pilots on the ground.

The company will also abandon its visuals of 1950s style pin-up girls, which have been the brand's trademark for a long time.

READ MORE: Former F1 Model Calls Decision to Ban Grid Girls ‘Feminism Gone Too Far'

Breitling's move came just days after Formula One representatives announced their decision to stop the practice of using walk-on grid girls before the race starts in late January 2018.

"While the practice of employing grid girls has been a staple of Formula One Grands Prix for decades, we feel this custom does not resonate with our brand values and clearly is at odds with modern day societal norms," Sean Bratches, Formula One Managing Director said.

He noted that the "Formula 1" management does not consider this practice "appropriate" for the championship and its fans across the world.

The decision to do away with its tradition of grid girls was made in the wake of the global #MeToo movement and numerous high-profile cases of sexual misconduct in Hollywood and in governments around the world.

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