Calvin Klein Ad featuring FKA Twigs banned for sexual objectification

Calvin Klein Ad featuring musician FKA Twigs has been banned by British advertising regulators for portraying the musician as “a stereotypical sexual object.”

This ban came as some billboards showed some revealing part of her breast and the side of her buttocks while being draped in a shirt with brands tagline "calvins or nothing.”

In the original ruling, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) of UK said the ads were unlikely to cause offense on the basis of objectification. However, ASA has now reversed its decision. ASA has said that the image is “overtly sexual,” and that the billboards should be banned so under 16s could not see them in an “untargeted medium”

This row has just added to ongoing debates regarding censorship and double standards with the portrayal of women in advertising. FKA Twigs has provided the example of Calvin Klein men’s underwear campaign which features US actor Jeremy Allen White being portraited in a pair of boxers against the New York skyline. AKA issued this ban in the month of January after two members of the public had registered a complaint which stated the ad “inappropriately sexualized the artist.”

At that moment, the ASA concurred that the advertisements primarily focused on FKA Twigs' nudity and physical attributes rather than her attire. The campaign was deemed to portray the "Two Weeks" singer as a typical sexualized object.

Following the ban, FKA Twigs addressed the issue on Instagram, offering a public response where she highlighted what she perceives as factors contributing to double standards in the industry.

On the social media post with the same banned campaign picture posted on January 11th, she penned her thoughts in the caption. She wrote: “I do not see the ‘stereotypical sexual object’ that they have labeled me. I see a beautiful strong woman of color whose incredible body has overcome more pain than you can imagine.” Furthermore, while shedding some light on double standards in the industry, she wrote: “In light of reviewing other campaigns, past and current, of this nature, I can’t help but feel there are some double standards here."