1.
Now considered one of the most iconic adverts of all time, when the Wonderbra ‘Hello Boys’ campaign was released in 1994, legend has it that the billboards resulted in car crashes when male drivers got distracted by Czech model Eva Herzigova and her assets.
2.
One of the most talked about fashion ads of the noughties was the 2004 Gucci campaign which featured model Carmen Cass with a ‘G’ shaved into her nether regions. The ad was infamously nicknamed ‘Pubic Enemy’ by the photographer Mario Testino who shot the image. Despite thousands of complaints, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority did not ban the provocative ad.
3.
Dolce & Gabbana’s 2007 ad was pulled in Spain as it was thought to ‘glorify rape’.Designer Stefano Gabbana defended the image, saying its intent was to show “an erotic dream, a sexual game”.
4.
While Diesel’s 2011 ‘Be Stupid’ campaign won awards, certain images caused offence in Britain as parents believed they encouraged anti social and sexualised behaviour of children. This was banned as posters by the UK watchdog, but were still allowed to appear in magazines.
5.
Miu Miu fell under scrutiny back in 2011 with its fall advertising campaign. The campaign, which featured actress Hailee Steinfeld captured by Bruce Weber, became a topic of heated debate when a shot surfaced of the then 14 year old sitting on a train track, wiping away what seemed to be a tear from her eye. The Italian fashion house was branded irresponsible for publishing an image showing a child in a dangerous location. But our forum members didn’t understand what the fuss was about.
