'We want to personally apologise to Malala Yousafzai' – Ogilvy & Mather reply to ad depicting schoolgirl being shot

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By Ishbel Macleod, PR and social media consultant

May 15, 2014 | 1 min read

Ogilvy & Mather has apologised for a series of ads, the most shocking of which showed Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai being shot in the face, admitting it was contrary to the agency's "beliefs and professional standards".

The ads were created by the Asia Pacific branch of Ogilvy & Mather for mattress brand Kurl-On.

A spokesperson said of the ads: "The recent Kurl-On ads from our India office are contrary to the beliefs and professional standards of Ogilvy & Mather and our clients.

"We deeply regret this incident and want to personally apologise to Malala Yousafzai and her family. We are investigating how our standards were compromised in this case and will take whatever corrective action is necessary. In addition, we have launched a thorough review of our approval and oversight processes across our global network to help ensure that our standards are never compromised again."

The ads showed the schoolgirl 'bounce back' from being shot to win an award.

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