Popularly known as “Gadis Air Mineral”, 25-year-old Nor Shafila Khairusalleh’s image is currently featured at Shell petrol stations nationwide as an in-store advertisement.
Although her previous pop-up images, which show her holding a bottle of mineral water, have been removed, Shell continued to use her image for their new ad about its dynaflex technology – one of the company’s efforts to help keep engines clean and protected for efficient running.
In case you haven’t noticed, the new pop-up posters is slightly different from its predecessor. While the previous ads only showed her upper body, the new ones feature her full body.
Since Shafila’s recent re-appearance, many netizens took to social media to share photos of her new ad. However, some customers have taken things too far. In some of the photos, men are seen doing inappropriate acts (such as placing their hand on her chest area, kissing her, etc) to her posters.
According to a report by mStar Online, Shafila admitted that she tries not to feel bothered by these actions. She said, “If little things like covering the eyes, pinching the nose, or hug I can still accept since it’s just a poster…but if it is towards harassment or sexual, I feel that is too far.”
Petrol station supervisor continued, “They may just be joking, but I feel ashamed because that is still myself although it is just an image.”
Besides that, Shafila, who doesn’t plan to sue any of the “molesters”, added that her husband admitted he was distressed when he saw men “molest” his wife’s posters. “But if after this there are others who purposely take photos not to just merely get viral, maybe I will think of something,” she reportedly said.
UPDATE (Monday, 3rd July):
Shell has stepped up to address the issue regarding the “harassment” of Shafila’s pop-up posters! In an e-mail statement, the company said that they are aware of the disrespectful photos and will remove the standee from all their sites immediately.
Their full statement reads:
“We are aware that pictures of several individuals photographed engaging in distasteful and suggestive acts with a promotional standee at out retail stations are circulating online.
“We do not condone this disrespectful act, which is completely against the culture of Malaysians and Shell’s core values. We urge netizens and members of the public to refrain from sharing these images further.
“The standee will be removed from all our sites with immediate effect.”
What are your thoughts on the men who “molest” Shafila’s posters? Do you think it’s too much? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box below!
Sources: MMO, Carigold.com / Featured image: MMO, Carigold.com.
