Here’s a PR story that will make you say, “Oh, Canada.”

It starts with your basic product launch: Veet, a company that makes hair-removal products, is introducing its Easy Wax Electrical Roll-On.

In this age of social media, it’s become increasingly tough to get such products noticed. Often, they’re lost in the shuffle.

Enter Maverick PR, which apparently is trying to live up to its moniker. The firm tapped popular Canadian fashion blogger (and marketing specialist) Spiro Mandylor to give the product a try. And he did—on a scantily clad model. Photos were taken. Blog posts were posted.

The images, which can be found on Mandylor’s blog It’s All Style To Me, are accompanied by the caveat: “In Association with Our Friends at Veet Canada.”

As one might imagine, some Canadians are displeased with this “disturbing” example of “fashion’s hedonistic culture.” That was the assessment Sabrina Maddeaux of Toronto Standard gives. She wrote:

“I’m surprised Veet hasn’t demanded he remove these tasteless and, quite frankly, cheap images in which EasyWax is used as an excuse to objectify and degrade women. This isn’t fashion; it’s smut.

Kevin Naulls, the fashion and culture editor at Toronto Life, shared Maddeaux’s disgust, tweeting: “CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT VEET WAS THINKING HERE.” It was a notion with which many of Naulls’ followers agreed.

Maverick PR thought otherwise. The firm retweeted the link to Spiro Mandylor’s blog post and added this affirmation: “Amazing job on this!”

On Wednesday afternoon, Maverick issued this statement to PR Daily:

“As Veet's [agency of record], Maverick frequently sends Veet product to be reviewed to journalists and bloggers including It's All Style to Me, we leave it to the discretion of the journalist how they would review or cover the product. As a style blog, It's All Style to Me has taken a creative approach that is entirely their own, with no direction or input from either Maverick or Veet.”

There you have it. If Spiro offends, Spiro is to blame.

And either way, people are talking about the product.

(Image via)