What’s so offensive about breasts?

[simon field]

Adidas has had an advert banned, due to it showing an assortment of breasts.

The nipples are censored out.

Question: Why is a bare breasted woman deemed offensive whilst a bare chested man, not?

Isn’t it about time we admired the beauty, rather than pretending it doesn’t exist?

 

[japancool]

Question: Why is a bare breasted woman deemed offensive whilst a bare chested man, not?

Depends on the man.

 

[simon field]

Depends on the man.

There’s someone for everyone!

 

[Ozzy]

I thought I'd destroyed all copies of that holiday photo!

 

[IanSuth]

It is the american evangelicals

For some reason a child holding a gun is fine but a breast without a pastie is an affront to civilisation and god

 

[Newchodge]

Adidas has had an advert banned, due to it showing an assortment of breasts.

The nipples are censored out.

Question: Why is a bare breasted woman deemed offensive whilst a bare chested man, not?

Isn’t it about time we admired the beauty, rather than pretending it doesn’t exist?

The same reason that, generally, men wear only swimming trunks on the beach, but women cover their breasts.

Probably related to the fact that a large number of men see women's breasts as sex objects.

 

[simon field]

The same reason that, generally, men wear only swimming trunks on the beach, but women cover their breasts.

Probably related to the fact that a large number of men see women's breasts as sex objects.

Do they?

Do women not see men’s chests as sexy too?

 

[Newchodge]

Do they?

Do women not see men’s chests as sexy too?

Rarely

 

[simon field]

Rarely

Luckily, more liberated countries than the stuck up old UK take a different view!

But I still don’t get it. Obviously the ladies in the advert are happy to display their bodies. One would assume that a majority of people wouldn’t choose to be offended by the simple biology of the human body. Those who DO decide to take offence - well, nobody’s forcing them to look at the avert, so, are they getting all bent out of shape on behalf of other people?

Genuinely mystified.

 

[Newchodge]

Luckily, more liberated countries than the stuck up old UK take a different view!

Women see men's bodies as sexy. not specifically their breasts.

 

[Newchodge]

Luckily, more liberated countries than the stuck up old UK take a different view!

But I still don’t get it. Obviously the ladies in the advert are happy to display their bodies. One would assume that a majority of people wouldn’t choose to be offended by the simple biology of the human body. Those who DO decide to take offence - well, nobody’s forcing them to look at the avert, so, are they getting all bent out of shape on behalf of other people?

Genuinely mystified.

Using sex to sell anything is unacceptable. Is that hard to understand? So, women lying across the bonnets of cars at the Motor Show was unacceptable donkey's years ago. What have women's breasts (showing nipples or not) to do with the product being advertised?

 

[simon field]

Using sex to sell anything is unacceptable. Is that hard to understand? So, women lying across the bonnets of cars at the Motor Show was unacceptable donkey's years ago. What have women's breasts (showing nipples or not) to do with the product being advertised?

Erm. The product being advertised is a sports bra. Emphasis is on all shapes and sizes.

How is that ‘using sex’?

 

[Newchodge]

Erm. The product being advertised is a sports bra. Emphasis is on all shapes and sizes.

How is that ‘using sex’?

Does it show the breasts supported by the bra?

 

[simon field]

Does it show the breasts supported by the bra?

Nope. That part is left to the imagination, which is great!

Do you imagine that the product is somehow being marketed to men, so they can buy a bra for their partner’s specific body shape?

What other body parts should be banned? Legs? Feet?

 

[japancool]

Luckily, more liberated countries than the stuck up old UK take a different view!

Which ones? I need to book a holiday.

 

[simon field]

Which ones? I need to book a holiday.

Germany, Italy, Spain, Africa.

Enjoy!

 

[simon field]

See, I can’t help but think that the

‘Oh it must be offensive because it’s sexual’

mindset, is actually only in the minds of those who decide to take offence at what the majority of people can just accept as normal.

 

[fisicx]

Does it show the breasts supported by the bra?

No, that wasn’t the point of the advert. It was to show that all women are different which is why there are 42 different sports bras.

 

[IanSuth]

No, that wasn’t the point of the advert. It was to show that all women are different which is why there are 42 different sports bras.

Well all I can say is when it is allowed to be up and running - send me the link as I manage a couple of female rugby teams who between them probably cover most of your 42 shapes and are forever complaining about the poor quality of female sportwear

With it just being confirmed that England will host the 2025 Womens rugby world cup I think I can spot a marketing opportunity for them

 

[MikeJ]

The same reason that, generally, men wear only swimming trunks on the beach, but women cover their breasts.

Probably related to the fact that a large number of men see women's breasts as sex objects.

Breasts are seen as important in the upbringing of children. Men are genetically programmed to find them attractive, as it shows the woman has the makings of good mother. In a similar way to women being physically attracted to muscular men, they have the ability to provide for the family.

Give it a few thousand years and we all may have moved on.

 

[simon field]

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/adidas-sports-bras-bare-breasts-ad-ban-b2077138.html?amp

A whopping 24 complaints!

 

[WaveJumper]

Well all I can say is when it is allowed to be up and running - send me the link as I manage a couple of female rugby teams who between them probably cover most of your 42 shapes and are forever complaining about the poor quality of female sportwear

With it just being confirmed that England will host the 2025 Womens rugby world cup I think I can spot a marketing opportunity for them

Nothing like getting a breast of the compitition ?

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

Probably related to the fact that a large number of men see women's breasts as sex objects.

What came first the Chicken or the Egg?

Isn't Breast enlargement surgery all about enhancing their appeal to the opposite sex?

 

[Newchodge]

Nope. That part is left to the imagination, which is great!

Surely, showing the effect of the 42 different bras would be a far more efective advert?

 

[MOIC]

Risqué adverts get noticed and talked about.

The whole point of advertising, hence this thread.

 

[simon field]

Surely, showing the effect of the 42 different bras would be a far more efective advert?

No.

It’s more about ladies being able to clearly identify their own particular shape. It smashes stereotypes.

It’s not in any way Risqué, say like a Diet Coke advert, or after shave, or Cadburys flake. Nor is it in any way suggestive or even erotic. It’s just body parts, plain and simple.

The ad is inclusive, forward-thinking, and I would think a
welcome change from the plastic, unrealistic portrayal of women seen all too often in the past.

 

[NicoJ]

Using sex to sell anything is unacceptable.

Says who?

Sex is a normal healthy part of human life. Why is it unacceptable to use it as an advertising tactic?

This advert however is, from the comments, not overtly sexual at all. It merely shows female anatomy. Why should we be ashamed of what is natural?

 

[fisicx]

Surely, showing the effect of the 42 different bras would be a far more efective advert?

Have you seen the advert?

 

[MOIC]

It’s not in any way Risqué,

To be honest, I haven't seen the advert, but if it is bare breasts on display on a public advert (which I thought it was), then that would be risqué, however given that the nipples were censored out, then I retract my statement!

 

[simon field]

To be honest, I haven't seen the advert, but if it is bare breasts on display on a public advert (which I thought it was), then that would be risqué, however given that the nipples were censored out, then I retract my statement!

I posted a link up there ^^^ to an article written by a woman, showing and welcoming the ad.

 

[simon field]

As said before, any connotations of

‘oh god, it’s not on, they’re breasts, that’s really bad’

exist purely in the heads of the great offended.

 

[fisicx]

Men look at women. It's a sort of built in function. It's one of those 'look it's a woman - she has big/small/long/short/whatever the penchant of the admirer'. Seconds after the look men have already forgotten who they were looking at. It has nothing to to with treating women as sex objects or objectifying women. Men look at women the same way they look at a car or a powertool or pokemon cards. I can understand why some women get upset but men just don't think the same way. There are plenty of studies you can read about how men observe the world.

So no, I don't think the advert was sexist.

 

[Ozzy]

I think the marketing agency that ran the ad knew exactly what they were doing, exactly as @MOIC alluded to above. Their job was to get Adidas in the news and get people talking about Adidas, the advert was to the general public to appear as an advert for sport bras, but the wider strategic objective of the agency as it is with all media agencies - get people talking about their client.

The advert was risqué from the perspective of; will it create controversy? Will it go viral? Will it get into the newspapers? If it achieves all or the majority of these then they have succeeded. They have come out of this in the media as leaders and champions for women, the agency have done well.

Society is what society is, and if you can create some divisive opinions and debate off the back of your marketing campaign by getting society to chew itself up then that is today's successful social media marketing strategy.

Coming from a bloke who genuinely has zero interest in boobs, just don't interest me at all.

 

[simon field]

@Newchodge, have you dug yourself into a little bit of a hole here?

How about the famous fine art paintings? Nudes.

Artists ‘using sex’ to sell a painting. Just plain wrong? ?

 

[Newchodge]

@Newchodge, have you dug yourself into a little bit of a hole here?

How about the famous fine art paintings? Nudes.

Artists ‘using sex’ to sell a painting. Just plain wrong? ?

Can you explain why, if the advert was about the human form, the nipples were censored out. Are they not an inherent part of the human form?

 

[simon field]

Can you explain why, if the advert was about the human form, the nipples were censored out. Are they not an inherent part of the human form?

Yes, I can. It’s because a small minority of people decide to be offended on behalf of others.

Offended by milk-teats.

Can you not see now how silly that sounds?

 

[Newchodge]

Yes, I can. It’s because a small minority of people decide to be offended on behalf of others.

Offended by milk-teats.

Can you not see now how silly that sounds?

But the nipple is the reason for the existence of the breasts. If this was only about the glorifying of the human form, they would not have been censored. Censoring suggests the reason was sensationalism and nothing else.

 

[simon field]

No, it’s more about being a bit more open-minded about these things.

Sadly, some are still stuck in the old ways.

 

[Ozzy]

Oh I don't know, I still think it's all part of the intended marketing strategy right down to any censorship put in place. All carefully planned and worked on, and strategies in place to deal with media and social reaction.
I cannot help but admire it, wouldn't be surprised if the agency win some awards for this.

We're talking about the censorship and I really think we should be talking about the cleverness of it and how the agency has used news and society enragement as a very clever marketing strategy. Honestly, I'm impressed and love it ... we should write a business guide about it on here ?

 

[japancool]

The outrage makes me titter. It's udderly bizarre, but I'm sure addidas will bounce back.