A Calvin Klein advert featuring British musician FKA twigs has been banned following complaints that it objectified women.
The poster, which was released in April 2023, shows the pop singer wearing a denim shirt that is drawn halfway around her body, leaving the side of her buttocks and half of one breast exposed.
The accompanying text reads: “Calvins or nothing.”
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received two complaints that the images were “overly sexualised”, offensive and irresponsible because they objectified women and were inappropriately displayed.
The Independent has contacted Calvin Klein and FKA twigs for comment.
Calvin Klein defended the advertisement by comparing it to those previously released in the UK for many years.
It said that twigs, whom the fashion brand described as a “confident and empowered woman”, collaborated with Calvin Klein to create the image and had approved it before its release.
Calvin Klein added that all “conventionally sensitive” body areas were fully covered and the subject was in a natural and neutral position.
“We considered the image's composition placed viewers' focus on the model's body rather than on the clothing being advertised,” the ASA said.
”The ad used nudity and centred on FKA twigs' physical features rather than the clothing, to the extent that it presented her as a stereotypical sexual object.
“We therefore concluded the ad was irresponsible and likely to cause serious offence.”
FKA twigs starred in the Calvin Klein campaign alongside model Kendal Jenner— (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
The ASA did not ban two other posters from the same campaign featuring model Kendall Jenner.
It found that they did not focus on her body in a manner that depicted her as a sexual object, while the level of nudity was not beyond what viewers would expect of a lingerie advert.
The ban comes shortly after Calvin Klein released a highly publicised campaign featuring The Bear actor Jeremy Allen White.
Calvin Klein’s advert featuring ‘The Bear’ actor Jeremy Allen White— (Calvin Klein)
Posters of White wearing the brand’s underwear have gone viral on social media, with fans sharing their reactions on TikTok.
“It is bizarre doing a Calvin Klein ad and now even more bizarre having it come out,” he told reporters backstage.
However, White seemed somewhat uncomfortable by the attention at the Golden Globes, where he took home the award for Best Male Actor in a TV Series – Musical or Comedy.
In an interview with Extra, the cast of The Bear were confronted with a poster of White wearing Calvins.
“What went through your mind when you all saw this?” reporter Melvin Robert asked the group.
“My god,” White responded, while his co-star Ayo Edebiri, who won Best Female Actor in a TV Series – Musical or Comedy, tried to hide the poster from view.
“I’m putting it away,” she said. “I’m putting it away from my boy! That’s my boy! That’s my boy! This is a work function … you know what I mean!?”
Does it make you uncomfortable?” Robert asked of the attention White was receiving.
“Sure,” White said. “Yes.”
Additional reporting by Press Association
