London’s public transport service has banned an advertising campaign geared towards luring British companies to France after Brexit.
ADVERTISEMENTTransport for London (TFL) banned a French advertising campaign geared at attracting UK companies to Normandy because it may cause “public controversy or sensitivity”, the transport authority said on Monday.
The campaign urges worried British business owners to “vote with their feet” and “leave post-Brexit fears behind”.
The Normandy Development Agency, which is behind the campaign, featured the advert in a fictional newspaper titled The Normandy Times.
“If you didn’t vote for Brexit or it’s not right for your business, why not vote with your feet and open an office, or settle a production unit, in Normandy,” it says.
The advert also features a mock classified ad called “Hot entrepreneur wanted… Someone allergic to post-Brexit tariffs, legislation, and restrictions preferred.”
However, for TFL the ads contain “images or messages that may cause public controversy or sensitivity” and “do not fully comply” with its advertising guidelines.
Herve Morin, president of the Normandy region, reacted to the TFL’s decision on social media, highlighting the “lack of humour” of the transport authority.
Morin told the AFP news agency that the campaign had already been refused twice, so they were trying to do it differently.
“We are saying to the English and to British businesses that ‘there’s a place for you in Normandy’,” he said.
Despite TFL’s ban, the region is sending a bus featuring the ad around British cities later this month.
The northern region of France is offering tax breaks and grants of up to 100,000 euros to British companies that move to France.