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Making Unique Observations in a Very Cluttered World

Thursday 5 January 2012

Naked man in children’s clothing ad a major fashion faux pas -

Naked man in children’s clothing ad a major fashion faux pas - 
A censored version of the offending photograph from La Redoute's website.



Call it an advertising faux pas.


French clothing company La Redoute published a promotional photo for children’s clothing complete with kids smiling in the foreground and a naked man strolling in the background.


From a distance the man is barely noticeable, but when the image was scrolled over to zoom in on the kids’ beachwear, the man’s genitals were clearly visible.


The offending photo was online for at least 16 hours, according to French news site Le Figaro. It has since been taken down, but not before it stirred up online buzz.


La Redoute issued apologies via social media almost immediately after the photo was brought to its attention.


“La Redoute apologizes for the photograph published on its site and is taking steps to remove it,” the company wrote on Twitter.


“We will strengthen the validation process of all brand communications for this cannot happen again in the future,” it added on Facebook.


More than 1,000 consumers commented on the apology. While some found the image quite comical (after all, the French are known for their liberal attitudes toward nudity), others were alarmed that a naked man was so near the children.


It’s unclear whether La Redoute’s team of photographers, marketers and web managers simply didn’t notice the full frontal shot in the background or if an office prankster Photoshopped the image.


Some fashion companies intentionally use controversial advertising to call attention to their brands. Benetton, for example, drew gasps when it digitally manipulated photos to show world leaders kissing.


Regardless if his presence was intentional, the naked man has become an Internet meme with a Tumblr account created in his honour.


Read more - 
http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1110822--naked-man-in-children-s-clothing-ad-a-major-fashion-faux-pas?bn=1

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