A nude Calvin Klein advertisement featuring singer FKA Twigs has been banned in the United Kingdom after it was deemed “overly sexualized” and “likely to cause serious offense” by objectifying women.
The U.K.’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that the image in the Calvin Klein ad “placed viewers’ focus on the model’s body rather than on the clothing being advertised,” according to a report by BBC News.
The image featured a partially nude FKA Twigs, clad in a denim shirt that was drawn halfway around her body, exposing the side of her buttocks and half of one breast. A caption accompanying the photo read, “Calvins or nothing,” which is part of the brand’s latest campaign.
The ASA also said that by focusing on the singer’s “physical features,” the company had “presented her as a stereotypical sexual object.”
“We therefore concluded the ad was irresponsible and likely to cause serious offence,” the agency said.
Calvin Klein defended its ad, saying that it was similar to other advertisements the brand had been releasing in the U.K. for many years.
The company said FKA Twigs is a “confident and empowered woman,” adding that the “Cellophane” singer had collaborated with them to create the image, and that she had approved it before it was released.
Calvin Klein added that all “conventionally sensitive” body areas were fully covered, and noted that the singer was in a natural and neutral position.
Two people had reportedly complained that the photo was “overly sexualized.” The complaints also included images from another Calvin Klein ad featuring Kendall Jenner.
But when it came to the Jenner ad, the ASA determined that the imagery did not focus on the model’s body “in a manner that portrayed her as a sexual object,” adding that the level of nudity did not extend beyond what people would expect from a typical lingerie advertisement.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and X/Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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