‘Sexually suggestive’ Rihanna ad banned
A “sexually suggestive” poster for Rihanna’s perfume “Rogue”, which featured the singer wearing nothing but a pair of high heels, has been banned from appearing again where children might see it.
The ad, which was displayed on the doors of a lift in the shopping centre drew a complaint that it was “overly sexual and demeaning to women” and was inappropriate for children to see.
Parlux, which manufactures Rogue by Rihanna, said the ad sought to capture the singer’s “provocative” song and persona but did not feature improper nudity or offensive imagery.
The company added that the ad was consistent with ads for Rihanna’s previous perfume launches and portrayed the singer in a “position of power” with the “courage to challenge boundaries”, rather than being demeaning.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that the image should have been given a placement restriction to reduce the possibility of it being seen by children, due to the fact that Rihanna appeared to be naked in the shot, bar her heels.
The ad was therefore banned on the grounds that it must not appear again without a placement restriction.
However, the ASA agreed with Parlux that the image of Rihanna gave off the impression of “confidence” and was not likely to cause offence for being demeaning to women.
