Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax says it wasn't going for controversy when it decided to use a photo of three smiling men on a billboard meant to promote a campaign honoring remarkable women.
The billboard features Paul Kent, the president and chief executive officer of the Greater Halifax Partnership, former provincial Liberal leader Danny Graham and Rob Batherson, the senior vice-president of public affairs at Colour, an advertising and communications company. Each of the men has donated to the university.
The Women's Wall of Honour is set to open in December of 2014 and honor scores of women who have been submitted for inclusion by their friends and family.
According to a university spokesperson, many women have donated money to the project, but the university "wanted to appeal to another demographic, especially with Mother's Day coming up," so it decided to erect a billboard featuring three male donors instead.
If that makes any sense.
Many have taken to Twitter and other social media outlets to express their chagrin at the bewildering move, and some have received this ostensibly explanatory response from the university's social media handler:
While billboards feature men, online and print ads feature women and men who've honoured a woman.
Which is whatever, but then how do they justify giving the same three men top billing on the project's official website?
[H/T: AdWeek, photo via Chronicle Herald, screengrab via Women's Wall of Honour]