It seems it doesn't take much for a billboard ad to be banned nowadays. As long as you're a woman with some flesh on show, chances are your ad's getting axed. The most recent case involves a lighthearted breastfeeding ad featuring a pregnant woman holding cookies over her breasts (oh the horror). It caused such a stir that it was promptly removed only three days after its debut.
I've always believed that the best billboard advertising is eye-catching and slightly provocative, but clearly, even those rules have limitations. While it's fine to have boxer-clad male Calvin Klein models thrust over Times Square, it seems the stigma around female bodies (particularly pregnant ones) is still a controversial topic in the world of advertising.
The contentious ad featured pregnant cookbook author Molly Baz promoting her lactation cookies designed to aid in breastfeeding. Working with breastfeeding start-up Swehl, the billboard ad aims to playfully deconstruct the societal prejudice against the pregnant female body. Giving the ad a cheeky, lighthearted edge, the 'salacious' image was pictured alongside text that read "Just add milk" – a combination that proved too risque for Clear Channel representatives who claimed that the ad violated “guidelines on acceptable content."
While many New Yorkers missed out on the chance to see the ad, that didn't stop the banned billboard from sparking debate online. Fronting the conversation on X was American journalist Yashar Ali, who claimed the move was "insane but not surprising." He and many others point to the over-sexualisation of the female body compared to the ostracism of the natural pregnant form. "This isn't just a double standard; it reflects deep-seated stigmas that still pervade our society," Yashar adds.
This is insane but not surprising…Cookbook author Molly Baz was featured in an ad for the company @swehl_, which helps new moms with breastfeeding through its products and the online community it has built. The company bought ad space on a billboard in Times Square owned by… pic.twitter.com/nwgbo0ZcVkMay 12, 2024
It's not the first time that we've seen the censoring of the female body in advertising, proving that it's currently an increasing issue with little to no resolution. As we saw with the recently banned FKA Twigs Calvin Klein ad, the censorship of the female body is a direct result of over-sexualisation and societally inflicted discomfort. Even in cases like these cancer charity billboards where exposed flesh is used to empower, it feels like an uphill battle to seperate the female form from the double standards of sexualisation.
For more empowering campaigns, check out Nice and Serious' 'Period Conversation' project that's getting the chat flowing as part of its Nice Works initiative. If you're after some brilliant branding, take a look at Sweaty Betty's motivational rebrand that nails female fitness marketing.
