Calling for strict ad ‘ass’essment

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A new advertisement by a clothing brand has ridden into a storm of controversy which shows a female model in a flattering pair of jeans, where the catchline saying, “What an Ass!”. Another two taglines say “Kiss my Ass!” and “Spank Them!”. Last year Levi’s had a tagline which said “All asses were not created equal”.
Women rights activist and director of Centre for Social Research Ranjana Kumari has lashed out against the brand and said, “It’s outrageous and vulgar. Such sexually suggestive and titillating advertisements are responsible for creating the image of women as sex objects.”
While Kumari plans to take up the matter with the National Commission for Women and the Ministry of Women and Child Development, youngsters don’t seem to understand what is the fuss all about. In fact this is how they converse.
Udayan Chakravarty, who works with JWT, says, “I feel we are just over-reacting. It’s time when we fight for the freedom of expression.”
There is no denying the fact that risqué sells and the brand obviously chooses the most popular route to woo consumers. Shiveshwar Raj Singh, group creative director with ULKA. Cheerleading and item numbers are metaphoric of objectification of women. The censor board too is okay with them. “If we are fine watching a beauty pageant, we should be okay with such an ad. We as a society need to grow,” says Singh.
However ad guru Prahlad Kakkar says that ads need not be in your face and must not reduce women to a piece of meat. Admakers should avoid being crude. He says, “The art lies in hinting. There is a thin line dividing aesthetic from titillating. Admakers should not cross it. A slight shift completely changes the meaning and tone of the message.”
It is important to choose the right words to generate curiosity. Besides ads speak the language of the people.
Navjyoti Sinha, a college-goer feels that words are just ploys to convey your point without being direct. “In college, this is how we communicate. And since the youngsters are the main consumers of a particular product I don’t think talking in their language does any harm. However, I do agree while the spoken word has a short life, written word stays with you for long. The whole idea can backfire if it crosses the line. So risqué is cool but within a limit,” says Navjyoti.