The latest Calvin Klein Jeans advert has been branded so rude it was banned from late night cable TV in America. It is the first advert for the designers's jeans line since the 1980s and they are certainly back with a bang. The campaign, shot by Steve Meisel, features topless male and female models romping on an old sofa wearing little more than their jeans. It has a real home video feel as though you have stumbled across something you shouldn't be seeing.
The label is working on an edited version of the advert to appear on cable TV but the original version will be shown in some European countries including Italy, France, Spain and Germany.
Still images of the campaign will soon be distracting drivers as they appear on billboards as well as in magazines.
It isn't the first time a Calvin Klein campaign has attracted such attention though. Last year the advert for it's perfume, Obsession, featuring Eva Mendes, was banned for its nudity after a peek of Eva's nipple is shown.
(Taken from www.femalefirst.co.uk/lifestyle-fashion/stylenews/Raunchy+Calvin+Klein+Ad+Banned-7086.html)
My Comments:
When designing the advert and target customer segment for my brand, I will have to approach the ad with caution so as not to offend or further narrow the market. The near nudity in the Calvin Klein ad mentiond above, although may be acceptable in European cultures such as Italy, has been banned in America. I do not have the intention to shock, however my ad must draw on fresh ideas and use of a memorable concept to create a buzz and instant recognition.
It seems from my research that the ads most talked about in the media are generally the most controversial (see Dolce & Gabbana ad from 2007 which was critisized for glorify gang rape) or have drawn upon new approaches.
In the first half of 1999 French Connection's profits boomed (up 15.4%) after the publicity of its controverisial FCUK advertising campaign, suggesting that adverts provoking attention not only raise publicity, but if read by masses can actually become desirable by those who like to rebel against societies 'norms' and accepted dress codes. If we reffer this to the AIDA model, we can see how attention is gained from the suggestive slogan, then interest encouraged through the media coverage and perserverance from French Connection to market the derogatory slogan. Next consumer desire forms for FCUK clothing, as it has become synonomous with rebellion and being tongue-in-cheek. Evidently the rise in profits suggests how many took action in purchasing an FCUK item of clothing.
The brands discussed above have each used sexual references to entice the audience. I would not consider advertsing in this manner for a new brand as it may establish it as tacky and in poor taste, however, for large well known brands this tactic has proved powerful. I hope to incorporate a fresh new concept into my brand's advert to not only create a buzz, but more importantly a desire for the clothing. However I think I will steer clear of nudity (after all the idea is to promote the clothing - not discard it!) and sexual inuendos (FCUK has had its day).
(Taken from: http://www.brandrepublic.com)
