German carmaker Audi has apologised for an ad showing a little girl eating a banana in front of a high-performance car, which drew a torrent of criticism on Twitter.
Critics said the child's pose was "provocative" and life-threatening.
Some pointed out that the driver would not be able to see the child in that pose, leaning on the grille.
Others said the image was sexually suggestive, as bananas and sports cars have often been seen as symbols of male lust.
Jane Bradford tweeted under the Audi apology: "So, let your heart beat faster in every aspect? Picture of - child with banana in mouth and flash car- so wrong in EVERY aspect".
Shiri@home tweeted: "Little girl with phallic symbol in her hand. Clear, super..."
And DjBeeTee tweeted: "Let's add it up: Red=eroticism, sports car=substitute for potency, animal print mini-skirt=sex appeal, banana=phallic symbol. But sure this is all just accidental..."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53648638
