As a stand alone effort, Rico could be seen as missing the mark or even lame, however we are titivated with the schoolboy humour and admire that Air New Zealand is willing to take a risk by shunning political correctness. Rico's risqué campaign has gained him a fan base of thousands on Facebook and YouTube.
In her blistering article, Ms Phillips gets somewhat prissy, precious and hysterical:
"The first time I saw the ads, I sort of half-laughed. Since then, I’ve felt vaguely uncomfortable about them, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. However, the terms “verbal rape” and “indecent communication” describe the filthy muppet to a tee.Thanks to her article, Ms Phillips has provided a positive boost to the Rico promotion.
Air New Zealand has kindly created a verbal rapist and let him loose upon the world."
In the following candid interview with Jaquie Brown, the misunderstood intrepid traveller, Rico shows his more sensitive side as he promotes his new book "Beating off the track"