Thaindian News

Washington, Apr 1 (ANI): Fashion brand Calvin Klein has caused controversy with its new billboard, which appears to subliminally spell out the F-word.

Lara Stone, 27, is pictured wearing nothing but underwear in the super-sized advertisement erected on the intersection of East Houston and Lafayette.

The controversy however, lies not in the model but in what parts of her body and parts of the background might be spelling out.

There’s a small table in the background of the image, which is partially blocked by Stone’s leg, thus creating an “F” shape.

The model is strategically leaning forward, and the top of her black briefs strategically creates a “U” and then Calvin Klein’s “ck” signature is cunningly placed alongside.

“In an act of advertising desperation, it appears Calvin Klein hired an ad agency run by 13-year-old boys eager to show how creative they are with newly discovered words,” Fox News quoted Dan Gainor, VP of Business and Culture at the Media Research Center, as saying.

“Sadly, children can recognize the obscene word. The immaturity of that ad guarantees it. Calvin Klein is just part of the whole media and advertising trend to push our children into growing too fast and as immoral as possible,” he said.

Steve Hall, Editor of AdRants, doesn’t think the billboard will turn away consumers.

“It won’t hurt the brand because CK isn’t a brand people look towards to be ’sensitive’ or ‘politically correct’ or just plain ‘nice.’ No. It’s a fashion brand and by design, fashion brands push limits,” Hall said.

“It’s by no stretch a new level of low. It’s just a simple swear. Other fashion and non-fashion brands have pushed much more sensitive buttons. Adding a swear word to an ad is nothing to what many brands have done before,” he stated. (ANI)