Calvin Klein’s FKA Twigs Ad Deemed Offensive and Banned

Calvin Klein’s recent advertising campaign featuring musician FKA twigs has been met with a ban from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), citing concerns about its potential to cause significant offense through the objectification of women. Unveiled in April, the promotional poster showcased the singer  in a shirt drawn halfway around her body, revealing part of her buttocks and one breast. Two complaints lodged with the ASA alleged that the images were excessively sexualized, offensive, and displayed inappropriately.

Their verdict highlighted the use of nudity and the portrayal of FKA twigs as a stereotypical sexual object, detracting from the intended focus on fashion. In response, Calvin Klein defended the campaign, asserting its consistency with the brand’s long-standing approach in the UK. The fashion label emphasized that FKA twigs, characterized as a “confident and empowered woman,” actively collaborated on the advertisement and endorsed the image before its public release. Calvin Klein maintained that all traditionally sensitive body areas were adequately covered, with the subject assuming a natural and neutral stance.

Despite the brand’s justifications, the ASA upheld the ban, reinforcing the notion that the advertisement’s excessive emphasis on the model’s body, rather than the promoted clothing, crossed established boundaries. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that posters featuring Kendall Jenner are in line with their standards and can continue to be displayed. The ban, issued after Calvin Klein unveiled a highly circulated Spring 2024 campaign featuring Jeremy Allen White of The Bear fame, prompted the ASA to advise Calvin Klein to ensure that their upcoming advertisements refrain from engaging in irresponsible objectification of women.

Credit by Hilary Nwachukwu