Denmark's national tourist agency has apologised for running a hoax marketing campaign in which a model pretends to be a desperate new mother who had a one-night stand.
Denmark's official tourism agency, VisitDenmark, has pulled a video it posted on YouTube featuring a pretty blonde "mother" with a baby in her arms appealing for the father to come forward, the Danish newspaper Politiken reports.
Local media reported yesterday the woman is actually an actress named Ditte Arnth Jorgensen and the baby "August" is not hers.
The revelation caused outrage in the country, with one newspaper labelling the stunt "grotesque".
VisitDenmark CEO Dorte Kiilerich said the aim of the viral advertising campaign was to create a positive view of Denmark.
“We deeply apologise that the film has offended a lot of people , that certainly wasn’t the idea," Politiken quoted him as saying.
VisitDenmark's decision to remove the video comes after it initially defended the stunt yesterday, saying it was "a good and sweet story about a mature, responsible woman who lives in a free society and shoulders the responsibility of her actions".
In the video, Jorgensen tells how she met a tourist by chance in the Nyhavn area of Copenhagen, and introduced him to the Danish concept of ’hygge’ or cosiness.
"I'm doing this because I'm trying to find August's father," she said.
"I don't remember where you're from, I don't even remember your name.
"We ended up having sex ... the next morning when I woke up, you were gone."
A website accompanies the video featuring photos of the woman and baby.
"I'm really overwhelmed and touched by all your nice comments and support from all over the world," a message on the website said.
"It gives me hope that August's father will see the video."
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