Oh, you precocious advertising companies -- always trying to push the limit with your racy print ads and TV spots. The latest blow-up over some scandalous marketing gone awry surrounds a fake ad for JC Penney. A production company called Epoch Films created a fictitious TV commercial (above), which features two teenagers putting their clothes on as fast as they can. You find out later that they've been practicing getting dressed quickly so as not to get caught having sex in the house. Saucy!

Dov Charney's genius in the perverted arts and sciences has long been the subject of rigorous debate and legal actions. Well, last Friday's LA Pride festivities brought with it another opportunity for American Apparel's CEO to showcase his rare talent at coaxing free advertising out of America's sex-crazed twenty-somethings.

American Apparel's LA store hosted a party that included the first inaugural 'LA Pride Underwear Contest,' where the winner could appear in an American Apparel underwear ad for free, and receive a gift package -- get it? For clothing that for the most part isn't all that sexy, American Apparel certainly manages to get the most mileage out of their soft-core porn marketing ideas. Sleazy, yes -- but we still kinda wish we could have been at the party. The flier is what really gets us -- click here to see the full flier. NSFW.

[via Gawker]

It's been relatively under-reported, so you may not be aware that Spice Girl Mel B was announced as the new face of Ultimo Lingerie earlier this year. The lack of press is odd, because the line looks surprisingly good. Regardless, the underwear's appearance isn't the most appealing aspect for Mel B. Rather, she likes it because it makes her feel naked.

"It's not like wearing underwear -- I like walking around naked so it's perfect for me," she told the UK's Sun newspaper. The singer also shared: "It's weird seeing massive posters of me in my underwear ... But it's my body and I like it."

And what's not to like? Mel looks exceptional in the new ad campaign . Check it out.

If you remember Tom Ford's last ads (you know, the ones that were banned in Italy), it'll come as no surprise that the designer's most recent set aren't exactly family-friendly. In fact, they're even more obscene, featuring full-frontal nudity of both the male and female variety.

Whoa.

Tom, we love you, and you make nice clothing. But that's just it, we like the clothes -- not necessary the naked bodies of the models who might sometimes wear them. Don't get us wrong, these people are hot and everything, but there are plenty of, erm, entertainment outlets already devoted to exposed genitalia. We come to you when we're interested in covering up our bits and pieces with something stylish.

Although we do applaud the effort -- if nothing else, these are certainly...provocative.

[via Jossip]

It was just a couple weeks ago that recently-rehabbed actress Eva Mendes appeared in Vogue Germany -- for the most part without her clothes. And now, word 'round the Internet is that the star's latest ad campaign is similarly scandalous.

The TV spots are for a new Calvin Klein fragrance called Secret Obsession, and apparently clearly show Eva "having illicit thoughts." So illicit, in fact, that they're making network TV sensors very uncomfortable -- which means the ads will likely never see the light of day.

The world is still freaking out after witnessing Miley Cyrus' nude shoulder blades -- which, in itself, is kind of understandable, as even non-prudish folk might balk at teenagers posing suggestively for fashion mags. But now there's news that people are raising hell over the naked backs of grown-up women -- calling them "explicit" and demanding that they be removed from public view.

This latest controversy surrounds some ads for K-Rock, a New York-based radio station, which show women with tattoos of rock bands across their bare shoulders. Offended citizens have complained to the radio station, and now the "scandal" is making headlines in the northeast. Subsequently fashion bloggers are up in arms, calling America's recent obsession with "back pornography" ridiculous and pleading with the country to chill out.

But should we? Personally, we don't see what all the fuss is about. However, you can check out the photos and judge for yourself.

Clearly it's not enough for Naomi Watts to be just an Oscar-nominated actress with a beautiful baby and a super-famous best friend. No, the King Kong and Funny Games star has designs on the modeling industry, too -- she has just been signed up as the first celebrity face of Thierry Mugler's Iconic Angel perfume.

Any eagle-eyed dress-watchers at the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute Gala Benefit in New York last week will have spotted the suitably angelic appearance of Watts' dress... of course, it was a Mugler design. Crafty.

Remember when we were all in love with Dove because they ran an ad campaign featuring "real" women? Well, kind of real -- clearly they weren't going to use fat or unattractive people, but at least the women in the ads were of more normal stature, and not Photoshopped to completely unrealistic proportions.

Or were they?

As we mentioned before, Kate Moss has returned to Agent Provocateur, starring in the lingerie-maker's latest batch of advertisements. But instead of sticking to a straight-up print campaign, the company has decided to create six pseudo-artsy, mostly pretentious videos of Moss prancing around in her skivvies.

Each video is based on one of the high-concept (and kind of racy) print ads, which are supposed to convey "the demise of a bride's 'big day' and serialize the unraveling of the religious organization behind it." Heavy stuff -- and it gets heavier. Each ad is based on one of the following themes: The Happiest Day of Her Life, The Garden of Eden, Bad News, Frenzy, Revenge, and Let Them Eat Kate.

Confused yet? So are we. Check out the gallery to see if you can figure which ad is supposed to go with which concept. Honestly we have no idea.

[via New York Magazine]

I have to say that all these French designers and their perfume/clothing/makeup ads are starting to look alike -- shot in black and white, high class, expensive and artistic looking, flashes of camera lights and a really famous, gorgeous model.

We get it already. If we use whatever product it is that whatever celebrity is hawking, we too can be glamorous and everyone will want to take our picture. Hip, hip hooray, I'm bored by that idea! We've seen it a thousand times.

Here is Kate Moss' take on the concept for the Yves Saint Laurent Spring/Summer 2008 Manifesto.



I much prefer their ad for their Men's Fall/Winter 2008-2009 collection. It features a few naked hot guys, and one really creepy man who just stares into the camera and shakes his head. Although hot guy and creepy staring man might be one and the same, I couldn't tell. Continue reading to see what I'm talking about.

At first, I thought it might be a life insurance commercial -- nope. Then, I was sure it was a credit card ad -- wrong again. Finally, I figured out what it was: a confusing waste of Louis Vuitton's advertising budget.

The minute and a half spot starts out with foggy travel images with meditative classical guitar music underneath -- the kind they play while you're getting a hot stone massage. Then, text flashes across the screen, lecturing you about how life is a journey. Not just some vacation, but a quest of self-discovery, man. Enlightening stuff, to be sure.

I guess buying a $2,000 purse could be a pretty good lesson in self discovery -- you might discover that you have a cash flow problem. The whole thing seemed to say "vacations are overrated, spend the money on a purse instead."

For their first ever TV commercial, you think LV would try to do something a little more memorable, this one played like a promo for a PBS travel show. They could have at least gone for shock value, like Prada.

[via Fashionista]

Finally, the runway show you've been waiting your whole life to see. Cows, goats, and more, all strutting down the runway, acting like divas, and puking in the bathroom -- just like real models!

It's an ad for Harvey Nichols, an upscale UK department store that sells clothing, home accessories, and -- somewhat randomly -- food. Embracing the oddity of combing eating and fashion, the company came up with the above TV spot -- which is totally genius.

If you're as enamored as I am, keep reading for a behind-the-scenes "making of" video that shows you how the whole thing came together. It must have been a nightmare coordinating all those animals!

Remember Frances Bean Cobain -- the daughter of Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain? The rock world's most famous offspring is widely rumored to be the front runner for the face of Chanel's 2008 campaign -- and she's only 15!

I had no idea she was even a model, but apparently Frances Bean is "overwhelmed" by the opportunity and ready for "what the Chanel experience may offer."

Not that she's unattractive, but honestly, Frances Bean is the last person I'd ever expect to be the face of Chanel. (OK, after your weird-looking neighbor who confuses Crocs with "couture.") Are they just looking for anyone young and mildly famous?

Let's be honest. Big companies often don't play nicely. They're out to make money, not protect your image, so -- especially if you're a model, actor, or anyone else in the public eye -- it shouldn't be all that surprising when they misrepresent you in order to earn a little extra cash.

However, when you agree to lie on a bed and fake an orgasm on film, it seems like you should expect to look, well, a little dirty. That's what this model agreed to do for a jewelry company called Szul. However, now that the commercial is all over YouTube (as you might suspect, it's fairly popular), she's worried that it might tarnish the "wholesome image" she's "worked hard to project."

She's not working that hard, apparently.

To be fair, the model (who is married, and a graduate student in early education), was told that the commercial's plot would be focused on a man giving her a necklace -- and she spent the majority of her time filming that relatively innocuous storyline. At the end of the shoot, the director had her lie down and "fake excitement" (read: pretend to have an orgasm) over and over until he thought he had a take that looked believable.

Seems like both sides have a valid argument: what do you think?

Armani's new ads featuring soccer star David Beckham have just been released, and they're none too shabby. Both the designer and the soccer star are pleased with the effort, and I'm sure the campaign will sell lots of skivvies.

But does anything look...enhanced to you? I don't want to question Mr. Beckham's manhood, but let's be honest -- women's figures are manipulated by photo editors all the time, and it looks like he shoved a tennis ball down there. I mean, seriously, that guy has a really squeaky voice for someone who's apparently so well endowed.

Not that it means anything, I'm just sayin'.

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