French billboard campaign promoting extramarital affairs falls foul of presidents ex
A French billboard campaign exhorting people to have extramarital affairs has fallen foul of Ségolène Royal, ex-wife of president Francois Hollande, over its use of a model bearing a striking similarity to the former presidential candidate.
The advertisement, commissioned by the French subsidiary of Victoria Milan, featured a Royal lookalike posing in front of a French flag – mimicking a widely derided photo shoot for Le Parisien magazine which took place last month.
It bore the slogan ‘Give your passion free rein – have an affair’, playing on Royal’s much publicised divorce from Hollande after he left her for current partner Valerie Trierweiler.
Angered by the very public association of her image with adultery Royal told Le Figaro: “I find the use of my likeness or my name for financial ends unacceptable. It’s a violation of the law and I’ve taken steps to demand that they withdraw the campaign.”