Calvin Klein: Ad with FKA twigs banned for objectifying women
- Published
The Calvin Klein poster of singer FKA twigs received two complaints
An advert for Calvin Klein has been banned after complaints the images used were "overly sexualised".
The poster featured singer FKA twigs wearing a denim shirt that was drawn halfway around her body, showing the side of her buttocks and half of one breast.
Above her, the text read: "Calvins or nothing".
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) found the ad was likely to cause serious offence by objectifying women.
The regulator ruled the "image's composition placed viewers' focus on the model's body rather than on the clothing being advertised".
It also noted by focusing on FKA twigs' "physical features", it had "presented her as a stereotypical sexual object".
"We therefore concluded the ad was irresponsible and likely to cause serious offence," it said.
Defending its advert, Calvin Klein said it had been similar to those it had been releasing in the UK for many years.
The fashion brand described the Two Weeks hitmaker as a "confident and empowered woman", and said she had collaborated with the company to produce the image and had approved it before publication.
It added that all "conventionally sensitive" body areas were fully covered and FKA twigs was in a natural and neutral position.
Two people had complained that the images were "overly sexualised", offensive and irresponsible because they objectified women and were inappropriately displayed.
These complaints were also directed towards two posters from the same campaign which featured model Kendall Jenner.
But the ASA found these posters did not focus on Kendall's body "in a manner that portrayed her as a sexual object" and the level of nudity was not beyond that which people would expect for a lingerie advert.
Calvin Klein and FKA twigs have been approached for further comment.
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