Offensive Ads in India Draw Ford Apology

Ford Motor Co. says it regrets the release of print advertisements in India for the Figo small car that featured caricatures of celebrities driving the car with tied-up people in the cargo area.

Socialite Paris Hilton appeared in one spot with reality-TV rivals the Kardashian sisters stashed in the rear. Another depicted former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi driving a Figo with a trio of leather-clad women bound and gagged in the back. The tagline touted the vehicle's luggage capacity.

Ford says WPP plc's JWT India agency created the ads as test concepts that were never intended for publication. But agency staffers posted them on an advertising industry Web site. The ads were removed after they went viral.

Ford and WPP say they are reviewing their oversight processes. The carmaker adds that it is investigating whether any of its employees knew about the ads. The incident touched a nerve in India, where a fatal gang rape in December touched off a debate about violence against women.