To think that sending softcore porn in a marketing email to woo new professional clients is not the best idea?

[KnitFastDieWarm]

I received this picture of a woman's bikini-clad pubic region in my work email inbox today - I'm a financial services professional. Or a disembodied fanjo, as I like to refer to myself when I find myself getting a little too big for my professional boots

The really sad thing is, it probably works on some people. I emailed them to complan but I can hear the eye-rolling and accusations of 'prude' from here...

As it happens, being bisexual I enjoy a fanjo as much as the next person but only when it's a) attached to a woman with thoughts and feelings rather than being used to sell something and b)not popping up in my work email inbox before I've finished my first coffee of the day!

My DH would be as offended by this as any feminist (well he is a feminist too actually...) because it's tacky. Sexist, misogynist but fundamentally just plain tacky.

And as you say, Knit, it doesn't exactly scream 'trustworthy finance professional' does it?

Asolutely LizLimone (excellent name btw ) - I am anticipating quite a reaction from my very feminist DH when he sees this! As a previous poster said, it's not only misogynist, it's tacky and naff and implies that all men are knuckle-dragging fools and see women as pieces of meat

Some people from that company probably did think that this is not a great way to advertise. Most likely they were told not to be such a prude and can't they take a joke? And are they one of those feminists or what?

This is so creepy and just offensively unprofessional - it makes me think it was made by someone on work experience, probably the type of teenage boy that reminds you of one of the inbetweeners. Hardly a fantastic similarity...

Another one amazed at their lack of any kind of insight as to the negative effects such a crappy and outdated and offensive piece of work that is.

Back to the 70's indeed...

HazleNutt sadly that's almost certainly the case

'it's only a joke...stop being so uptight! Ads are meant to get a reaction! Don't be such a prude!...ad nauseum

I just looked at the site. A financial services company, in association with betfred?

Also aren't they scammers? I always get emails from herman@ golden tree who wants to put money in my acc

My money's on Gary. He looks like the chilled-out entertainer of the group.

I liked Gary - he's got that spaced-out-new-dad look.

My money is on young Pete Davies trying to make an impression on Steve Marsh.

Sigh.

He looks like the chilled-out entertainer of the group.

BlueStocking has hit the nail on the head here.

This Is Marketing 2014, courtesy of David Brent/Ron Burgundy...

Young Pete did raise my suscpiscions in terms os suggesting this - being fresh from the rugger team at uni and all that - but surely someone would have vetoed his raging campus sexism youthful high spirits??

Shall we ask them?

We could email and ask them ... they seem keen to be contacted!

Fucking hell, absolutely ridiculous on every level

Do they even understand the whole bikini bridge saga?!

I'm not sure they'll have e-mail.

I imagine their office a bit like this:

Puke it's unprofessional, unoriginal, and would make me think the company was shit, using shoddy tactics to mask a lack of proffesionalism. Sadly in real life I feel like a minority in feeling this way.

I've emailed them to give them a chance to explain themselves...will let you know the outcome! if it's a calm down dear, then we can take it from there! until then I'm going to give them the benefit of the (very slim) doubt that this was a disgruntled employee or something

Holy fucking shit. I suppose it seemed like a good idea at the time . . .i

EverydaySexsim has tweeted it.

The response from Goldren Tree is

"@MoMulki @Matthew28077229 What can we say we do like a bit of controversy!"

So well considered then.

Maybe a tweet to Marketing Week as the worst bit of direct marketing ever? Or is that just giving them more publicity?

Sorry - it's been tweeted to everydaysexism, not by them.

Oh dear, oh dear. Mind you, having looked at their Meet The Team page, the level of sophistication at work in their comms is not all that high. Typical sample: "Pete Davies, Business Development Manager: Pete joined the team as a Business Development Manager in December 2013, new boy to the team after a career in the leisure industry. With his natty hair style and suave suit he bears a striking resemblance to Pepee Le Pew, the famous Looney Tunes character. He fits into the team very well!!!"

I have just emailed all the people on the image.

As a pp said, strip clubs often do indeed have classier advertising.

Oh dear. Bless them. They think this is going to be good for them.
They really are thick

I knew it!

tweet away! let's make sure they et their controversy in the form of public humiliation for being such astonishingly unprofessional twats