Main points
- Ukrposhta CEO Ihor Smilyansky admitted a mistake in publishing an advertisement featuring a schoolgirl, which caused outrage in society.
- The collaboration with the Rikky Hype brand was terminated and the post was deleted after accusations of sexualizing children and ageism.
The CEO of Ukrposhta admitted a mistake / Collage by Channel 24, photo by Ukrposhta
Recently, Ukrposhta was once again embroiled in a scandal over an advertisement featuring a schoolgirl in a short skirt, which Ukrainians accused of sexualizing children. Ihor Smilyansky admitted that he made a mistake.
What is known about the statement of the CEO of Ukrposhta regarding advertising?
For Valentine's Day, Ukrposhta published a joint post with a clothing brand, which was criticized by commenters. Ihor Smilyansky explained his mistake, but did not refrain from accusations of ageism.
According to him, the publication was a mistake, and cooperation with the brand has now been terminated.
The publication that caused a resonance is our mistake. First of all, it is my personal one. We did not take into account the important context of a sensitive topic, namely the discussion of the Epstein tape scandal, the debate on changes in the legislation on the age of consent to marriage, and the rebranding of Ukrposhta. In this context, we made the wrong decision, and I admit it,
– said the CEO.
What post are you talking about?
The collaboration between Ukrposhta and the Ukrainian clothing brand Rikky Hype was “cheated” online. Corresponding posts can be seen in Threads, where people are just reposting the deleted post.
Post in Threads
The incident caused outrage among Ukrainians, who accused the company of sexualizing children. They also mentioned that they wanted to introduce marriages in Ukraine from the age of 14. In addition, Jeffrey Epstein was not left out.
Comments were even left by the author of the well-known Telegram channel “Lachen Pyshe” Igor Lanchenkov and the co-founder of Monobank Oleg Gorohovsky.
Screenshot from Threads
Screenshot from Threads
Smilyansky also reported that the contributors also accused Ukrposhta of collaborating with a youth brand, although the company's work is supposedly aimed at an older audience.
I would like to remind you that in a modern European country, such posts are ageism. Anyone who has not learned English is age discrimination. Therefore, in the pursuit of hype, one should not lose humanity and respect for elders,
– wrote Smilyansky.
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What was the previous scandal of Smilyansky after the rebranding of Ukrposhta?
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Ukrposhta CEO Ihor Smilyansky found himself at the center of a scandal after calling a commentator a prostitute, but he is not going to apologize.
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One commenter responded that the company's branches “look so shabby that no “identity with deep meanings” will fix it.” She also hinted at the theft of the company's budget, which, she said, could have been spent on repairs in the branches.
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The controversy began over criticism of the rebranding of Ukrposhta, where the new logo was created by Spiilka Design Büro based on historical Ukrainian postage stamps.