Sexy or Sadistic?
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana pulled this ad under pressure from protests in Spain, and it even hit them where they live, in Italy.
The main issues seem to arise in the female model’s hands being pinned and her lowered lids, eyes hidden beneath either lashes or closed lids. The implications of powerlessness and unconsciousness seem to be the main source of contention, but if you look at her raised hips and arched back, it would suggest that she is digging the scene.
Some people do fantasize about this, as the designers say - it was intended to depict an “erotic dream,” a “sexual game.” The men do look particularly creepy and lecherous, but I think it was intended to be a fantasy of willing and wanting submission.
In Italy, the image first came out Feb. 5, in the most famous and bestselling [Italian] newspaper … at that time, there was no reaction. The effects did not arrive in Italy until after the poor Spanish reaction [to] the ad. We understand that in Spain there is a truly important social emergency as far as violence against women [is concerned], which is why we did not want to offend anyone, so we immediately withdrew the image from all Spanish press.
- STEFANO GABBANA
Here is a website containing this and other ads that are supposed to be offensive to women. Me? I don’t buy any of this stuff, so I don’t give a shit. I’m not their target audience. Even if I were, I could care less. Got your attention, didn’t it? Advertising mission accomplished, massive publicity for them ensues.
Additionally, I am an avid supporter of FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION and If you don’t like it, put your money where your mouth is and don’t buy their product! That’s the best way to send a message, with your hard-earned dollars. Shouldn’t be too difficult to refrain, considering their prices, over-inflated by the imagined prestige of a brand label in the pretentious court of public opinion.
Otherwise, I believe that there are far more pressing issues in life other than an advertising campaign. Go find something PRODUCTIVE to do!
An interesting aside, is that Dolce & Gabbana work directly with their art directors and photographers to execute their campaigns, rather than an agency. This makes their advertising more personally aligned with their own unique vision and differentiates them from many, who outsource their creative work to established agencies who crank out a concept. I’ll bet this is a major factor in their success, not having committees or executive boards to syphon out creativity.