They wanted to advertise clams and seafood products with photos of nude women and provocative slogans. But the marketing stunt proved costly for La Selvaggia, a company from Santarcangelo di Romagna, which was expelled from the international Conxemar trade fair in Vigo, Spain.
The story was reported by the Spanish newspaper La Voz de Galicia. At the centre of the controversy were flyers distributed during the event, featuring images of unclothed young women accompanied by slogans such as “fresh fish” and “not all clams are the same.”
Organisers deemed the campaign sexist and demeaning, deciding to immediately remove the company from the fair.
On the morning of the expulsion, at 9am, a delegation of organisers arrived at the stand, giving the company one hour to clear the space and remove the promotional material. In the end, it was colleagues from other Italian companies who took care of closing it down.
La Selvaggia was taking part in the event alongside other Italian firms, in the exhibition area coordinated by the ministry responsible for fisheries.
The Italian ministry distanced itself from the advertising, explaining, according to the Spanish press, that it had not been aware of the campaign.
The images had already appeared in the days prior on the company’s social media channels. The affair ended with the closure of the stand and the covering up of all advertising references to the Romagna-based company.
