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!

I love the fact that their response to one of their own ads being tweeted by Everyday Sexism is to try and be jaunty.

They really are utterly clueless.

It's not controversial, advert douches. It's embarrassingly, anachronistically shit and thousands of people are now laughing at you.

I feel sorry for Joanne. Bet she has to put up with some shit.

I feel sorry for Joanne too. I bet she spends a lot of her time gritting her teeth.

I couldn't see the everyday sexism tweet? maybe worth tweeting them again? (I don't have twitter)

the only tweets I'm seeing seem to be, sadly from a similar douchebag ('let's see who gets offended')

I can picture the backslapping...I love that they think this is a good move, it's kind of sweet in a pathetic, David Brent kind of way

bluestocking not sure whether to or

it's not Joanne in the photo is it?

I think Joanne may have erm internalised a lot of misogyny herself.

(sorry Joanne, if that's not the case)

I can't believe they said that about controversy. Whoever is doing this - on their behalf - is a complete dick.

OK, I looked - I can't believe how many mature women there are on that team! Not just young ones who might feel bullied/intimidated but career women with years of experience. Bloody hell!

I can't see it either knit.

I just visited the GTFS website and it is tragic. The 'Meet the Team' section tells you all you need to know. These are people who would probably describe themselves as 'wacky'.

Over half the workforce is female! The deafening level of tooth grinding must make working in their office nigh-on impossible.

Yeah, I'm willing to bet you have to 'be able to take a joke' and 'not be a killjoy' if you're a woman working for GTFS.

It's actually incredibly depressing.

They wouldn't all know about it though, I guess. I dunno. How many people would it take to sign off something in a company that size?

Oh so they are enjoying the controversy now are they?

They are probably so busy giving each other 'high fives' in the office right now that it's all completely lost on them.

The fact that they are behaving like a bunch of pre-pubescent school boys, that is!

nobbers

True JFR. It's a tiny company.

Can't wait to hear their explanation.

I think their attitude is, any publicity is good publicity.

Not if it's reported to the ASA it's not.

It falls under their remit, as a 'commercial e-mail'.

The ASA pursues ads which are misleading, harmful or offensive.

The website is here: they say that more complaints don't necessarily equal more action, as they will proceed on one complaint if the advert is in breach of regulations, so I reckon one of us will do. knitfast, if you fancy it, you're the best placed to complain as you've got the details - not saying you have to though, just an idea!

I work in Marketing and once contacted a company that deals with council owned advertising boards. Recieved a very friendly email back from a young lady saying she'd get some prices back and signed off with a picture of herself in a cocktail bar holding a glass of champagne.

Few days later I recieve another email apologising for not getting back sooner but she'd been to see Gary Barlow, who was lush, and what a good time her and her friends had had. No quote though, but still included her plenty of fish profile pic.

After chasing for a week, I emailed the manager asking if they could help.

Response came the next day apologising, the aforesaid lovely lady no longer worked for them but promised a quote would be sent through as a matter of urgency.

And was signed off with her name, job title, list of qualifications, and... A picture of her showing Grand Canyon sized proportions of cleavage, luminous tanned face stood next to a palm tree

It's a v contrived gag and I personally find the image, in this context, offensive.

It's basically using a silly, sexist joke about being able to see a vulva underneath a bikini bottom.

Tunna Maybe the ladies were emailing from their Hotmail accounts during the time when they were affixing personal photos they scalped from Facebook. I had no idea that I was emailing my timesheet to my office every week accompanied by a photo of me clutching two sparkly cocktails. No-one mentioned it to me, I only spotted it when I emailed myself something to a different account.

Did the person who came up with this work as a mechanic in the 80s?

The thing is, if it was an advert from a beer company or something I wouldn't have complained (I'd have rolled my eyes, though)

Just to stick up for beer companies, we had a marketing company email through a sample advert the other week along similar lines with a pelvis shot, no face etc to try to get our business and they went straight onto the no way pile

Oh its embarrassing to look at, in line with their entire website.

What a 'wacky', 'crazy' bunch they must be.

Really makes me want to trust them with my finances, errm no it doesn't actually.

Has anybody sent them a link to this thread?

Wow, they look like just the type of guys I would trust with my £££££££

From twitter

Goldentree would like to apologise to anyone who was offended by our marketing e-shot yesterday. It was never our intention to offend anyone