Virgin Mobile US has pulled an online ad that appeared to make light of rape after an “epic marketing fail” that forced Sir Richard Branson to publicly intervene.

The ad depicted a man holding a gift while shielding a woman's eyes with the caption: “The gift of Christmas surprise. Necklace? Or chloroform”.

References to the organic compound, once used as an anaesthetic but also as a tool for criminals to knock out their victims, sparked an immediate online backlash on Twitter after user EverydaySexism published a screenshot of the ad.

Many targeted their rage at Branson, prompting him to write on his blog that the ad was “ill-judged” and the company had “gone too far”.