“Calvins or nothing,” says the phrase on a Calvin Klein advertising poster released in April last year. The heroine of the ad is British singer, songwriter, producer, dancer and actress FKA Twigs, 36, who appears in the ad removing a denim shirt that slides down the middle of her body and leaves the side and half of her butt. of an exposed chest with an image of an “overly sexualized nature”, according to complaints received by the English Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which has now banned the poster in the UK because it is “likely to cause serious offense through the objectification” of women.
The first to complain about this censorship was the brand itself, ensuring that this ad was similar to the one it had previously launched in English territory. In a statement, Calvin Klein bosses defended that FKA Twigs, whom they describe as a “confident and empowered woman”, collaborated with them to produce this image with their prior approval before publication. Furthermore, they argue that all “conventionally sensitive” areas of the body were completely covered and that the model was in a “natural and neutral” position. And this Wednesday, January 10, she made her own statement after her ad was pulled: “I don't see the 'stereotypical sexual objectification' I've been labeled with. I see a beautiful, strong black woman, whose amazing body has overcome more pain than you can imagine,” he warned. . Posted on your Instagram accountHe gathered 2.4 million followers, sharing an image of the advertisement, which is now banned on British soil.
The singer's statement continued: “In light of reviewing other past and current campaigns of this nature, I can't help but feel there is some double standard here.” This message is inevitably linked to the recent and viral campaign starring Jeremy Allen White. The 32-year-old actor climbed on stage at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles to receive the Golden Globe Award last Sunday thanks to his performance in the series. The bear, but when the Internet really exploded was a few days ago, when his new ad campaign with Calvin Klein came to light. In it, he wears only the brand's underwear, something that has been greatly criticized by users. “I'm proud of both of them. [del galardón y del anuncio]But from the Golden Globes more…”, the interpreter had to clarify at the post-ceremony press conference after several questions asked during the night pointed in this direction.
In her Instagram post, FKA Twigs also described herself as “proud” of her physique. “And the art I can create using my container to reach the standards of women like Josephine Baker, Eartha Kitt, and Grace Jones, who broke barriers when it came to being an empowered woman and had a unique physical sensuality,” the artist notes. “Thank you to Calvin Klein, Mert and Marcus [autores de las imágenes] Who gave me the space to express myself the way I wanted. The statement concludes: “I will not change my story or narrative.”
On the other hand, the ASA believes that the composition of the image focuses on her body and not on the clothing advertised. “The ad used nudity and focused on FKA Twigs' physical features rather than clothing, to the point of presenting her as a stereotypical sexual object. We therefore concluded that the ad was irresponsible and likely to cause serious offence,” they explained their decision this way, in the past tense, because the ad had It has already been removed from the marquees and buildings.
This is not the first time users have complained to the ASA about Calvin Klein adverts. They had previously received complaints about an advertisement for model Kendall Jenner, about a poster in which she appeared lying on her back, wearing jeans, and covering her chest with her hands. Another photo from the same campaign shows Jenner wearing her underwear and pulling her jeans down to her hips. However, in this case, the organization rejected the complaints because it did not consider that she was being treated as a “sexual object,” and justified that the level of nudity did not exceed “what people would expect from an underwear advertisement.”
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