It was a high profile billboard in Atlantic City that got plenty of people talking. But not for the reasons the company who put it there wanted.
The sign, located on a building in the heart of the city’s tourism district, reads ‘Hey students, need a summer job? Date a Sugar Daddy,’ while showing former porn star Bree Olson putting on lipstick.
The billboard, which promotes ArrangementFinders.com, a dating website, immediately sparked outrage from residents when it was posted a few weeks ago. Critics claimed the ad promoted prostitution and demanded it be taken down.
“They’re billing, ‘Come down, come down to Atlantic City, family friendly, and this is the billboard that you see?’” asked Carla Runkle, a social worker who led the charge for the billboard to be removed.
A spokesman for ArrangementFinders denied it promoted prostitution or an escort service. Instead he claimed the sign caters to those looking for a “mutually beneficial arrangement and relationships that occur over time.” He also claimed the sign was supposed to stay up all summer.
On Monday around 2 p.m. however, the company claimed its owner agreed that the sign was inappropriate and that they would take the sign down on Tuesday.
“When I see it down tomorrow, then I’ll be happier,” said Sharon Kelly.
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But Kelly didn’t have to wait. Just over an hour after the company’s announcement on Monday, workers took the sign down.
“They knew that it was inappropriate,” said Kelly. “How can you not know? You have a porn star on there.”
The billboard company also says they want to apologize to the community for the sign and that if a replacement ad goes up, it will be of an “appropriate nature.”
