Does sex still sell? Yes, but in a different way. In the second decade of the 21st century, a new era of sexuality has begun. If in the 2010s designers tried every possible way to dress people up (this is evidenced by the notorious plus-size and layering trend and the aesthetic of the “beige” blogger), now everything is just the opposite. The ball is ruled by extremism and rebellion. And among the main “guests” is, of course, Julia Fox.
Athleisure’s casual aesthetic (a combination of the words “sports” and “leisure” and athletics) was replaced by deliberate sexuality, sometimes dirty and frankly vulgar. Creative directors of fashion brands are deliberately robbed without objectifying both men and women. And this is the main difference between the new sexuality and the sexuality of 20 or even 30 years ago.
But today we invite you on a short fashion journey with archival advertising campaigns that maximize the gender display. Some were banned immediately, some just faced a flurry of criticism, but they all went down in history. We are talking about the 10 most provocative advertising campaigns of fashion brands.
Calvin Klein (1980)
Agree, at first glance this Calvin Klein advertising campaign does not seem very provocative. But it just didn’t make it to this list. In 1980, 15-year-old model and actress Brooke Shields starred for the American brand – posing in classic blue jeans and a button-down shirt with just one button. But Calvin Klein hit a wave of negativity not because of Brooke’s looks, but because of the statement she made in the video. “You want to know what’s between me and my jeans? Nothing”. After that, the brand was accused of promoting child pornography, and advertising had to be abandoned. However, as they say, the Internet remembers everything.
Calvin Klein (1992)
In 1992, the Calvin Klein brand launched its first unisex collection and once again surprised the world with a provocative advertising campaign. This time Mark Wahlberg and Kate Moss became its heroes. Mark was not yet a Hollywood actor (he rapped under the pseudonym Marky Mark), and Kate was just starting her modeling career. But this did not prevent the campaign from becoming almost the most scandalous in the history of fashion. Wahlberg and Moss posed for fashion photographer Steven Meisel in the same jeans and panties with branded wide elastic bands. They had no other clothes on. Now such advertisements do not seem provocative, but in the early 1990s they enraged the public and caused another scandal.
YSL Opium Fragrance (2000)
There have been many scandalous campaigns in the history of the Saint Laurent brand. Take, for example, Yves Saint Laurent’s legendary nude shot for his first fragrance, Pour Homme. And in 2000, Tom Ford, who was then the brand’s creative director, introduced the world to an advertisement for the Opium fragrance Lady in White. Fully nude writer and model Sophie Dahl lay on the blue silk sheets in a very revealing pose. This kind of deliberate sexuality caused a flurry of criticism and garnered more than a thousand letters from haters, giving the campaign a place in the list of most complained about ads.
Sisley (2001)
In 2001, this Sisley ad campaign seems to have been discussed by everyone. And there is no point in explaining the reasons for such hype around the pictures of fashion photographer Terry Richardson, because they speak for themselves. Very soon, the scandalous campaign was removed from everywhere. But as we said, the internet has a very good memory.
Gucci (2003)
Tom Ford’s sexual ad campaigns are endless, but today we’d like to talk a little more about the 2003 Gucci campaign, codenamed Public Enemy, that led the way in the number of complaints but still made history. Then, Estonian model Carmen Kass posed for photographer Mario Testino. During one shoot, she dropped her blue satin shorts and revealed a candid G-shaped haircut. Brave? Yes. Frankly? Definitely. It’s no surprise that a wave of criticism came to the brand after the photos were published in Vogue. And a petition was even created in England to ban it from being published in magazines. But that, fortunately, did not happen.
Sisley (2003)
And here is another Sisley campaign that caused a strong negative reaction from the public. Brazilian supermodel Ana Beatriz Barros posed for photographer Terry Richardson this time. The campaign had to convey female sexual desires by contrasting them with male energy. But what turned out to be. Thousands of complaints, negative comments and brand accusations that objectify women. As a result, the ad had to be removed.
Tom Ford (2007)
Tom Ford, like no one else, deserves the title of king of provocation. We’ve talked about the scandalous Gucci Public Enemy and YSL Opium campaign before, but that’s not all. Let’s not forget that Tom Ford is his eponymous brand, where gender is almost the main component in their ad campaigns. Take, for example, the shot of the already familiar Terry Richardson, dedicated to the release of a new perfume in 2007. Then the world saw several frames showing parts of a naked female body and a bottle of these perfumes.
Dolce & Gabbana (2007)
In 2007, Dolce & Gabbana launched a new ad campaign and immediately received some accusations of romanticizing violence. All because of an image of a scantily dressed model appearing with four men. Later, Stefano Gabbana said that he wanted to show only “an erotic dream and sexual play” with this shot.
Diesel (2011)
“Sex sells. Unfortunately, we sell jeans” reads the slogan of the 2011 Diesel ad campaign. And no, there was no criticism. But this shot has gone down in the history of the most provocative campaigns.
Bulgarian (2011)
In 2011, the Italian brand Bulgari placed a large billboard with a picture of Julianne Moore in Venice’s main square. The Hollywood actress posed completely nude for this ad campaign and covered her body with a new Bulgari bag model. Thereupon, the mayor demanded that the ad be removed, citing his decision by saying, “We must find an ad that suits Venice, not Times Square.”
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Source: People Talk
Richard Stock is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a lifestyle expert who provides readers with the latest news and trends in the world of fashion, beauty, food, and travel. With a sharp eye for detail and a passion for writing, Richard offers unique insights and perspectives on the topics he covers.
