Bar Refaeli date-rape ad 'horrifying' (Israel)

[Deleted]

An Israeli ad that depicts supermodel Bar Refaeli being drugged and kidnapped has been labelled "horrifying" and "simply unacceptable".

The commercial shows a waiter lusting after the supermodel as she dines in a restaurant

After she ignores his advances, the waiter poisons her food.

The final scene of the two minute advertisement shows a semi-conscious Refaeli being carried into a darkened room by the waiter, who then sharpens a large knife and looks at the camera with a smile on his face.

Several other bound and gagged women sit on the floor of the room.


The ad is to promote MyCheck, an iPhone app that allows diners to pay restaurant bills without going to the counter.

After causing outrage in Israel, the company loaded up a version to YouTube with the final 20 seconds cut out.

"We decided to shorten the movie after we understood it may offend people," MyCheck CEO Shlomit Kugler told the Times of Israel.

"Our aim is to entertain, not to hurt anyone's feelings, although personally I think it is very funny."

But fashion website Styleite was not amused, describing the advertisement as "horrifying" and "creepy".

"Sadly, it's not all that rare for advertising to cross the line and present messages, intended or otherwise, that are seriously not okay," Styleite reporter Samantha Randazzo said.

"This ad for an iPhone app, starring model Bar Refaeli, is probably one of the worst we've seen in recent memory, and the totally effed-up nature of it was anything but a mistake."

MyCheck hopes to launch their app in the UK and the US soon.

Edit: Sorry forgot link! news.ninemsn.com.au/technology/8529555/bar-refaeli-date-rape-ad-deemed-horrifying

[Deleted]

OMG. Who thought that was appropriate for ANY product, it sounds horrendous.

[heightsyankee]

[Deleted]

That title is misleading--it's not really date rape. It's more like a serial killer.

[ttt]

How does this promote their product?? What does "Abducted by a psycho" have to do with an iPhone app???

[ttt]

And on second thought, didn't she use their product in the ad? So, use our product and get abducted by a serial killer?? Huh?

[marie427]

Restaurant dining, serial killers...natural connection, of course. WTF?