Have you seen the Air NZ ads featuring 'Rico'? What do you think of them?

A potty-mouthed puppet called Rico is the controversial new face of the country's national carrier, Air New Zealand.

Rico, a small, fanged animal with a faux South American accent, appears in the ads as a tourist who chats to the people next to him in premium economy spaceseats on his 777-300 flights.

In one ad, Rico talks about his time in New Zealand, saying: "I love her bush - it's amazing" and "I spent my time beating off the track in many place".

His lewd comments have already gained him thousands of fans on Facebook and YouTube - but have also provoked complaints of "smut".

Have you seen the ads? What do you think of them?