Swedish anti-sexism group slams Calvin Klein for portraying Kardashians as 'sexual partners'
A Swedish organization that protests sexist advertising has condemned a new Calvin Klein advert featuring the Kardashian family, arguing that the ad portrays them as sexual partners.
Founded in 2017, Annonsrådet works to counter the spread of sexist and gender discriminatory advertising in digital media, doing so by encouraging mass reporting of the ads to Instagram, Facebook and other social media outlets, thereby manipulating algorithms favouring likes and shares to lessen the spread of the material.
The new Calvin Klein underwear campaign by photographer Willy Vanderperre features all five of the Kardashian/Jenner sisters. Annonsrådet said it has been deluged with complaints from its members that the sisters are posing in a way suggesting they may be sexual partners.
Annonsrådet founder Amanda Oxell told The Local it is important to fight sexist advertising as "by being repeatedly exposed to certain imagery, viewers will often start to believe that this imagery reflects a reality to be aspired to, whereas really these images are just created according to very narrow norms. Advertisers need to be held more accountable".
READ ALSO: Sweden 'worst in Nordics' on sexist advertising according to report
"This is why it is so important to fight against advertising that portrays women in a sexist and objectifying manner. These Calvin Klein ads clearly imply an incestuous relationship between sisters, and this is obviously wrong," Oxell added.
This is not the first time Annonsrådet has taken issue with a Calvin Klein campaign, with the organization complaining in October 2017 about an ad featuring actress Kirsten Dunst.
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Founded in 2017, Annonsrådet works to counter the spread of sexist and gender discriminatory advertising in digital media, doing so by encouraging mass reporting of the ads to Instagram, Facebook and other social media outlets, thereby manipulating algorithms favouring likes and shares to lessen the spread of the material.
The new Calvin Klein underwear campaign by photographer Willy Vanderperre features all five of the Kardashian/Jenner sisters. Annonsrådet said it has been deluged with complaints from its members that the sisters are posing in a way suggesting they may be sexual partners.
Annonsrådet founder Amanda Oxell told The Local it is important to fight sexist advertising as "by being repeatedly exposed to certain imagery, viewers will often start to believe that this imagery reflects a reality to be aspired to, whereas really these images are just created according to very narrow norms. Advertisers need to be held more accountable".
READ ALSO: Sweden 'worst in Nordics' on sexist advertising according to report
"This is why it is so important to fight against advertising that portrays women in a sexist and objectifying manner. These Calvin Klein ads clearly imply an incestuous relationship between sisters, and this is obviously wrong," Oxell added.
This is not the first time Annonsrådet has taken issue with a Calvin Klein campaign, with the organization complaining in October 2017 about an ad featuring actress Kirsten Dunst.
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