Ella Bache’s new national outdoor campaign ad was banned by Australia’s media regulators because the serious facial expressions (left) were thought to exude more sexual undertones reported Buzz Feed. However, the same image of nude models in the same positions (right) but with smiles was approved and is ready to be released.
“This bizarre decision is the epitome of political correctness, indicating that as a society we are becoming very fearful of putting a foot wrong, with the result that stymies creative thinking. In the past we have produced ads approved with nude men and women hugging and kissing, yet now we have an industry self-regulator making judgments on the different sexual mores of a smile or serious expression of models.”
– Faie Davis, Ella Baché’s creative director was nonplussed:
I don’t agree. I don’t see any sexual undertones in either of them. It makes me wonder about the regulator behind the decision if they associate a woman smiling as not sexual but a woman not smiling as sexual. That seems backwards to me.
Keith – It is very confusing as the women are in virtually the same positions in both photographs not to mention they are not clothed in either picture as well.