Popular Clothing Company Promotes Risky Behavior

The National Coalition recently became aware of Calvin Klein’s unveiled billboard advertisement at the corners of Houston and Lafayette in New York City featuring two young men and a young woman entwined in a semi-nude “threesome.”

As base and inappropriate as the billboard is, the Calvin Klein website pushes the envelope even further by featuring streamed videos of similar scenes, the latest effort to use soft-core pornography to generate buzz and online traffic.

We are disturbed by the clothing company’s advertising strategy because it continues the process of mainstreaming pornography. For the sake of increased sales, Calvin Klein has reduced young people to sexual commodities, which has immeasurable social costs.

In addition, what companies such as Calvin Klein have seized upon is the fact that “Internet-Only” versions of television commercials can be even more crude and edgy. Companies are now directing viewers to their websites—either through television commercials or virally through social networking sites—where they can watch versions described as “Unrated,” “Banned,” or “too hot for the FCC.”

This advertising trend is disturbing for several reasons:

  1. It continues the mainstreaming of pornography, a process we know leads to devastating results.
  2. It demonstrates the extreme direction in which advertising is going in the digital age.
  3. It preys upon the vulnerabilities of viewers—specifically, their curiosity and the accessibility (to children as well as adults) of the content online.  Marketing professionals have noted the huge increases in traffic that these websites receive, some even using terms like “Pavlovian” to describe the response of viewers.  Those of us in the faith community recognize that the web surfing of those individuals often does not end at the companies’ websites—indeed, those websites are only the beginning of an indulgence in Internet porn.
Such unconscionable abuse of sexuality in advertising and promotional materials must be addressed now!

While we strongly discourage you from visiting Calvin Klein’s website to view the sexualized material, as this act furthers the basic objective of the advertiser to promote the content virally, we are asking you to put your money where your mouth is and refuse to purchase Calvin Klein clothing until the company removes its sexualized billboard and videos.

We believe Calvin Klein will only take immediate action and realize their corporate responsibility if their profits decrease significantly.  

Make your voice heard by joining the National Coalition and other concerned citizens today. Shop your conscience by not spending money on Calvin Klein clothing!