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The UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned a Calvin Klein ad featuring UK-based singer FKA Twigs because "the image's composition placed viewers' focus on the model's body rather than on the clothing being advertised", as per TIME Magazine. In the ad, Twigs can be seen wearing a denim shirt wrapped around her body, exposing the right side of the body.
The ban comes after a Calvin Klein ad of a shirtless Jeremy Allen White went viral. ASA also received complaints regarding another Calvin Klein ad featuring Kendall Jenner but deemed it acceptable and did not ban it. Despite ads being part of the same campaign, only FKA Twigs' ad was banned in the UK.
The ban received backlash from netizens as @Fauxmoi posted FKA's response to the ban on Reddit. Many pointed out the bias against FKA Twigs' advert in the comments section.
According to ASA, FKA's physical features presented her as a "stereotypical s*xual object." The association also described the advert as "irresponsible and likely to cause serious offense." Per their ruling, the ad, which first appeared in April 2023, "must not appear again in the form complained of."
"You see more skin on a red carpet" - Netizens show support towards FKA Twigs
In response to the ASA ban, FKA Twigs recently uploaded an Instagram post saying:
"I do not see the stereotypical s*xual object that they have labelled me. I see a beautiful strong woman of color whose incredible body has overcome more pain than you can imagine."
Netizens also took to Reddit to show support for the singer. While many found her strong and unflinching, others pointed out that, had it been a white person, the ASA wouldn't have objected, for example, in the case of Jeremy Allen White and Kendall Jenner.
The ASA also revealed that it had received two complaints about the FKA Twigs poster and two separate complaints featuring Kendall Kenner. According to the complainants, the adverts "objectified women" and were "inappropriate for display in an untargeted medium."
Calvin Klein, while responding to ASA's ban, said that the ads were in a similar fashion to the posters the brand has typically run in the UK for years. The brand also revealed that the women themselves approved of the images before their release and provided interview excerpts by both women who claimed they "felt a sense of empowerment and confidence" by participating in the ad campaign.
As per Time, ASA has also told Calvin Klein to "ensure that future ads do not irresponsibly objectify women and are targeted appropriately."
