After years of complaints, hire company Wicked Campers has been forced to back down on the use of obscene and offensive slogans on its vans.

The company – notorious for its controversial marketing tactics – was brought to heel by the mother of an 11-year-old Sydney girl who launched an online petition after her daughter was confronted by one of the company’s vans.

Paula Orbea’s petition attracted more than 110,000 signatures, gained widespread media coverage and prompted the Federal Senate to pass a motion condemning the company for using a ‘litany of sexist, mysogynistic and racist slogans”.

After thumbing its nose at Advertising Standards Board rulings in recent years and reveling in controversy, Wicked Campers finally relented. It issued a written apology to Ms Orbea and undertook to remove the slogan in question. The firm also promised to review and change insensitive slogans on all vans in the next six months.