Breast surgery contest: Is that an appropriate prize?

Breast surgery contest: Is that an appropriate prize?

A Calgary radio station is causing a stir after it launched an online contest offering a free breast augmentation as its grand prize.

90.3 Amp Radio's "Breast Summer Ever" contest asks participants to upload a photo of themselves along with a statement explaining why they want the $10,000 surgery, the Calgary Herald reported.

The top 10 finalists will be announced July 7. The winner will be determined through online voting.

The contest was met immediately with mixed reaction after its launch on Monday.

Local resident Maxwell Orwell said he filed complaints with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Councils and the Ad Standards Councils after learning about the contest, according to the Herald.

"I generally think it's pretty distasteful," said Orwell, a social work student.

But Laura Horne, a 29-year-old marketing professional, thinks the station could use the big publicity to do something positive, such as giving the free surgery to a breast-cancer patient in need of breast reconstruction.

"Clearly it is a marketing stunt," Horne told the newspaper. "The negative backlash is a little bit unfair. It could be used in the end for something good."

Is breast augmentation surgery an appropriate prize for a radio contest? Do you think the radio station is crossing a line or engaging in legitimate marketing? Let us know in the comments section below.