Ban on FKA Twigs’ Calvin Klein advert overturned
In January, FKA Twigs responded to the banning of her Calvin Klein campaign by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Since then, widespread backlash against the ASA has caused them to repeal the ban.
The organisation deemed the image of the English musician, which features her wearing a denim shirt draped over her partially exposed backside and breast, “inappropriate”.
The ASA claimed that “the image’s composition placed viewers’ focus on the model’s body rather than on the clothing being advertised”, which is “likely to cause serious offence”.
However, other recent Calvin Klein campaigns, such as one featuring Jeremy Allen White wearing just his boxer shorts and another centring Kendall Jenner cupping her bare breasts, have not been banned despite similar complaints to the ASA.
Thus, Twigs took to Instagram to point out the “double standards” of the ban. She wrote: “I do not see the ‘stereotypical sexual object’ that they have labelled me. I see a beautiful strong woman of colour whose incredible body has overcome more pain than you can imagine.”
Following criticism, the ASA has unbanned the image. However, they have maintained that due to the “overtly sexual” nature of the campaign, it is “not suitable for display in an untargeted medium”.
The organisation explained that their decision was informed by “the significant strength of public feeling, including views expressed by FKA Twigs,” adding that there was “concern that our rationale for banning the ad was substantially flawed.”
Highlighting the ruling as their final decision on the matter, the ASA stated that it wants “to examine whether we had used inconsistent wording and if we had made the right judgment about objectification in the ad.”
See Twigs’ initial response to the banning below.
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