Models and booking agents at Models Direct couldn’t help but giggle this week over stories of, French lingerie company, Etam’s recent publicity stunt, involving three lingerie models, some brightly coloured smalls and a Paris museum.

The lingerie company – which Models Direct hears may now face legal action – sent their gorgeous models into the Musee d’Orsay dressed in nothing but stilhetto heels and trenchcoats covering skimpy bras and knickers. Once inside the museum the three models spent a moment admiring an impressionist piece before removing their trench coats and performing an impromptu catwalk style show for unsuspecting onlookers.

Some museum-goers were clearly amused by the stunt while others appeared not to know where to look as the cheeky trio paraded past modelling the pink, blue and yellow underwear and giggling uncontrollably. What started as a reasonably confident strutt soon broke into a mad dash for the door as the reality of the situation dawned on the models.

The Musee d’Orsay has a strict ‘no filming’ policy and representatives there insist that they had no idea that the publicity stunt was taking place. Head of communications Amelie Hardivillier is reported as saying: “I’m responsible for filming and such a shoot would never have been accepted, it’s unthinkable.”

In a further statement from the museum the incident was described as: “”a serious infringement of the Orsay’s rights and the rights of others.” Now the director at Musee d’Orsay is said to have threatened Etam with legal action and insisted that the video be removed from the company’s website in order to avoid it. However, the video has since gone viral and is now present on YouTube.

Apparently this isn’t the first time that the French lingerie company have sent their models out to shock the public. Similar stunts have previously been seen at the Eiffel Tower, the Charles de Gaulle Airport and a Parisian ice-skating rink.

What do you think of this somewhat brazen marketing technique? Amusing or appalling?