Stumble it!Calvin Klein Does It Again
I know the point of advertising is to create buzz and attention. I worked in that industry for twenty years. I did 
not have a daughter then. Mostly, in fact, I worked in high-technology and not consumer brands. I can remember the original Calvin Klein ads that featured Brooke Shields. It was controversial but nothing like their new campaign. Have you seen it? It is most prominently displayed in high-traffic areas like Lexington Avenue in New York City.
Some of the ads are just racy (as always) and I don’t necessarily take issue with them. But, I DO NOT like the ad that features one girl and multiple boys. The kids are obviously young – we know youth sells, but why do they have to manufacture ONE girl and three boys? Isn’t it provocative enough to have one girl and one guy scantily clad?
What Would Your Daughter Say?
I wonder if the creative director and the client brand manager have teenage daughters. Would they be proud to show this work to their daughter? Is this the image we want our daughters to aspire to? Frankly, as this situation is depicted all I can think is, “this girl is in trouble, she is either high or going to be raped.” Not really great scenarios. In fact, the picture acts out every single thing I advise my daughter NOT to do and NOT to be.
I believe we all have a responsibility to hold positive images up for girls to aspire to. I’m not even taking issue with the “so-called” pornographic nature of the kids un-dressing. (Some have taken issue with this). I have a BIG problem with the fact they put a girl in a sexually-provocative pose with THREE guys.
It is not ok.
June 20th, 2009 at 06:11
Yup. I agree completely. What they are showing could be a crime. Let’s talk about drinking and sex and young women and date rape.This one is so over the edge.
June 20th, 2009 at 11:20
Doesn’t bother me so much. Sorry. I really think that we, as in Americans, have an overly prudish sense of sexuality. Ads like that run in Europe all the time, and they have LOWER rates of teen pregnancy and STDs than we do.
It’s like anything else we try to hide from the kids—they find out anyway, and start exploring on their own.
June 20th, 2009 at 20:04
Is it really on lexington? I thought that it was downtown. Anyway, I feel like this should bother me, but for some reason it doesn’t. Maybe because they seem so obviously posed and despite the intent, seem very asexual to me.
I’m much more annoyed by some of Abercrobie & Fitch tactics.
June 20th, 2009 at 20:14
I lived in Europe and have worked with European brands. I agree they (historically )have had more “risque” advertising. The U.S. is catching up now. I don’t have a problem with nudity. I didn’t when I lived there and don’t now. The difference between America and Europe is that Europeans embrace women of all ages. And, they don’t have a problem with showing “mature” women in scantily clad, provocative ads. If they show a semi-nude or scantily clad woman lolling around with three men, it most likely will be an adult woman. In America, the only “woman” we will show scantily clad is a young girl. We are youth obsessed. Europeans enjoy women as they age. Different story. I don’t take issue with a grown woman in a sexually explicit scenario – a young girl making out with three guys…not so much.
June 21st, 2009 at 10:53
It saddens me. I wouldn’t want to be a mom walking down a NYC street with my daughter and come upon this ad. At least if my child is a teen we can discuss what the advertiser is trying to accomplish and whether or not people that engage in that kind of sexual activity are really making their lives better or not, and so forth. But the images that are planted on a younger child, boy or girl, will slant their view going forward of what sex is all about. And these are not images I would want my child to have.
June 23rd, 2009 at 22:25
Personally it doesn’t bother me that much. I fear what my children would say? Yes but I know I could explain it to them what is it about. Environment can affect the way your children decides and thinks but when you have raised your children well, given them what’s best and communicated with them very well you wouldn’t worry about anything.