Despite rethinking its original reason for a ban, the regulator still considered the billboard to be “overtly sexual” based on the combination of FKA Twigs’ “seductive gaze, pouting lips, and the positioning of the shirt revealing the side of one breast and the side of her bottom.”
It has now republished its original statement, retaining its ban on the ad, this time on the basis that it was “not suitable for display in an untargeted medium.”
Though the ASA has republished rulings before based on appeals from brands, it confirmed to ADWEEK that this occasion marked the first time a decision made under its guidelines around objectification had been overturned.
A spokesperson told ADWEEK: “The decision to revisit our original ruling took place in the context of the significant strength of public feeling, including views expressed by FKA Twigs, in response to our findings, but was driven by our concern that our rationale for banning the ad was substantially flawed.”
“We wanted to examine whether we had used inconsistent wording and if we had made the right judgement about objectification in the ad,” they added.
After “careful thought,” the ASA’s council (the independent jury that decides whether U.K. ads break the rules) decided the image was not sexually explicit, and that the ad presented FKA Twigs as confident and in control and, therefore, “she had not been objectified.”
Marketing provocateur Calvin Klein, known for its sensual photoshoots starring celebrities from Kate Moss to Justin Bieber, joined FKA Twigs in support against the ASA’s original decision.
“The images were not vulgar and were of two confident and empowered women who had chosen to identify with the Calvin Klein brand, and the ads contained a progressive and enlightened message,” said a spokesperson in response to the ruling.
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