TORONTO — Ontario nurses are incensed at Virgin Mobile Canada's new ad campaign, saying its depiction of nurses in short skirts and stiletto heels is demeaning to their profession.

Virgin Mobile launched its Canadian mobile phone service this week with a publicity stunt by billionaire owner Sir Richard Branson.

The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario is demanding a public apology from Branson, founder of the U.K.-based Virgin Group. The 21,000-member association also wants the company to immediately cease its advertising campaign.

"If he (Branson) wants to aim for controversy, he needs to find a different target,'' said Doris Grinspun, the association's executive director.

"He needs to get with the times. This is a stereotype of women and nurses we have been fighting for half a century. If he wants to find a controversy, he should find one involving his own gender.''

The controversy is sure to play into Virgin's hands, industry observers say, pointing out that the campaign is not unlike the company's suggestive advertising and publicity stunts in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom.

It all began on Tuesday, when Branson -- attending launch of the newest entry into Canada's mobile phone field -- slid down a cable from the top of a building into the middle of downtown's Dundas Square.

After hopping on the back of a monster truck and driving over three cars, Branson, dressed as a superhero, proceeded to save three nurses who were chained to the vehicles. The four then had a playful snowball fight in front of media cameras.

The "nurses'' were bleach-blonde models wearing white stilettos and short skirts. Life-size cutouts of these nurses began appearing this week in shopping malls and other retail outlets that are selling Virgin Mobile phones.

The medical theme is part of the broader marketing campaign that is comparing phone plans from rival service providers Bell Mobility, Telus Mobility and Rogers Wireless to a fictitious venereal disease called "The Catch.''

"Maximizes your pleasure,'' reads one print advertisement, showing a nurse holding a bottle of pills meant to cure the "catch.''

Virgin Mobile spokeswoman Paula Lash said the company never intended to offend anyone, but isn't about to pull the advertising.

"It's really meant to be quite tongue-in-cheek,'' she said. "We've taken this comic-strip approach to everything. Virgin's marketing is about being fun, edgy and irreverent. We apologize if it was offensive to some people, but for the most part, we think it will really connect with our target market.''

Mark Quigley, a telecom analyst and managing director for the Yankee Group in Canada, said the controversy will help Virgin Mobile increase its exposure in Ontario and is unlikely to offend its target audience -- mostly teenagers and young adults.

"This is what Virgin is all about,'' said Quigley. "They're not overly concerned that they might be offending some people or otherwise. Maybe this is part and parcel of their whole campaign.''

Sine MacKinnon, a spokesperson for the nurses' association, said someone had to speak out, even if it risked giving Virgin more exposure.

"Given the egregiousness of the representations of nurses we can't be silent on it,'' said MacKinnon, adding that nurses are being encouraged to ask friends and family to boycott Virgin's product.

A Virgin Mobile TV commercial last year in the United States featured pop diva Christina Aguilera simulating sex. The Canadian TV campaign is scheduled to launch mid-March, timed to coincidence with high school students' spring break.

"We're not sorry for the campaign; we think it's a great campaign,'' said Lash. "Obviously, if people are feeling we have offended them we're sorry for the idea of them feeling that way.''

The nurses' association has couriered a letter directly to Branson and is urging its members to call or e-mail Virgin's Toronto headquarters to complain.

"I think their PR department is probably inundated right now,'' said MacKinnon.