Calvin Klien Under Scrutiny for it's UP-SKIRT Ad
Posted 8 years ago
Thanks to the widespread outreach of the interweb, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are enabling luxury brands to attract an increasing amount of attention from fans, consumers, and critics alike. And since it is said that any publicity is good publicity, controversial statements, ads and images are becoming increasingly commonplace for todays ad campaigns. Calvin Klein is one such brand, known for its edgy and provocative ad campaigns and its latest #mycalvins ad seems to have had its desired effect, at least in terms of catching the internet’s keen eye.
The freedom to publicly express your views online, explicit or otherwise, allows for lengthy arguments to ensue between those caught on either side of the proverbial fence of what’s acceptable and what’s not. CK’s latest ad is a perfect example to depict the viral nature of a controversial social media campaign. The Instagram ad for CK’s new range of underwear has been designed to grind a few gears as it revolves around the statement “I ___ in my Calvins.” This particular ad uses the word ‘flash’ to fill the blank. The image accompanying it is an up-skirt photo of Danish actor Klara Kristin that has sent the Internet on fire.
Many critics have vehemently accused the brand of being sexist and classless by putting up the aforementioned ad-image. The campaign’s tag line is quite bold and this particular image that accompanies it seems to have enraged several communities. In fact, the image has been deemed to be a ‘depiction of sexual harassment or assault’ by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE). Nevertheless, the company seems to have stuck by its ad as it still remains on its official Instagram page where it has garnered over 48,000 likes! Campaign Photographer Harley Weir even told the Associated Press that she was ‘really happy’ with her work.
Calvin Klein has never shied away from controversy having previously have had to take down a billboard ad which showed a woman who ‘seduced in her Calvins’ next to a man who made money in his. Although a CK spokesperson has reportedly denied that the campaign has an official name, the statement released by NCOSE suggests that it’s called Erotica. No matter which side of the debate you agree with, it’s safe to say that CK’s newest ad campaign really does seem to have taken ‘freedom of speech’ to a whole new level!