Internet
bank Egg has been criticised by the advertising watchdog for encouraging people
to get into debt and feign illness to skip work.
The
company sent an e-mail newsletter promoting its services under the headline
"Suffering from SAD (skint and depressed)?"
It
began: "New Year’s Day has come and gone and your bank account looks like
Nick Leeson’s been at it" – a reference to the former City trader whose
huge losses caused the collapse of Barings Bank.
The
e-mail continued: "Find a bargain night out, a pampering fixer-upper or
just say ‘to hell with it’ and stick it on the card."
It
then said: "Can’t face the thought of work? Then throw a sickie and bed
down for the day, where all you need to think about is how to pamper yourself
next."
The
Advertising Standards Authority described the e-mail as
"irresponsible" and said it could encourage recipients to incur debt
and would promote absenteeism.
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A
spokesperson for Egg said the language was intended to appeal to its
25-to-40-year-old customers.
