A new campaign by the telecom operator WOO, owned by NOS, has sparked outrage among prison guards, prompting them to file an injunction against the company.
The advertisement, launched last Friday, mimics the escape of inmates from the Vale de Judeus Prison. The commercial depicts a prison guard on the phone while five inmates scale a wall behind him.
In the background, a voice-over states: “When you’re not satisfied with your job, at least be satisfied with the internet.”
This portrayal is deemed “shameful” by the National Union of Prison Guards.
“They are mocking a serious situation. It’s not funny. Prison guards are offended, and rightly so. They have been wrongfully blamed in the Vale de Judeus escape situation. Now, just two days after allegations of corruption [in various Portuguese prisons], this advertisement comes out. It’s regrettable and we consider it a complete lack of ethics. In advertising, as in other professions, not everything goes,” emphasized the union’s president, Frederico Morais, in a statement.
Consequently, they decided last Friday to proceed with “an injunction” against the company to “defend the good name of the Prison Guard Corps.”
This action is expected to be filed today, Monday, April 14, in court.
“I received many messages over the weekend from outraged colleagues. I am indignant too. There were so many things they could have used for advertising, yet they chose this. Prison guards are already vulnerable and now have to deal with this mockery. It’s very low,” the spokesperson emphasized.
Frederico Morais also expressed disappointment that the Directorate-General for Reintegration and Prison Services has not yet responded to the advertisement.
