3.02.2010

Sex Sells, but is T.I.'s Clothing Ad Taking it Too Far?


What does simulated oral sex have to do with jeans?

Everything, according to T.I.'s clothing brand, AKOO. Their advertisement, which graces a billboard in Newark, New Jersey (woot! woot! Sorry, Jersey girl moment), depicts a woman pulling down a man's AKOO jeans, with his hand lovingly dictating what she should do with her head. Sigh.

There's been nothing short of an uproar among Jersey residents about the explicit nature of the ad. Even the mayor spoke up, but his gripe wasn't about the simulation, it was about the jeans sagging off the male model's behind...umm, so simulated oral sex in tight jeans is better?

Anyway, I do agree that the ad is not something I'd want my impressionable, pre-pubescent cousin to see while out and about in Newark.

But as we all know, billboard sex is all too common in the high-end fashion world, with Calvin Klein and Dolce & Gabbana being repeat offenders. They make AKOO's ad look tame. Check out some jaw-dropping risque ads below (NSFW).


Implied gang rape at Dolce & Gabbana.




Simulated orgy at Calvin Klein.




Eva Mendes' boobs at Calvin Klein.




Pretend Masturbation at Emanuel Ungaro.




Simulated oral sex again at Puma.

Yes, I guess it catches your eye when you're stuck in traffic on a city street. But is it socially responsible to put these offensive ads out there? 

And what in the world does it have to do with clothes? Sex sells, yes, but vulgarity won't encourage me to purchase a pair of jeans. Thoughts?

UPDATE: T.I.'s ad has been taken down from the billboard in Newark. Do you think removing the ad is excessive or understandable?

Kisses,

Coutura

3 comments:

Brittany said...

Oh wow...and I didn't even realize at first what looks like sperm on her leg in the Puma ad... Yikes!

Unknown said...

I heard on the radio this morning, they are taking down the billboard in Newark this week.

The Coolest Cool said...

Sex sells, but only when its done right. When I see Ads like these I think that the creative director had only one goal - creating buzz and the brand. This isn't about selling the jeans, its about selling the emotions linked to all the fantasies we have about getting laid on a beach or having a manage et toi.

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