A Pacific Brands subsidiary has tempted fate with its latest campaign, following previous run-ins with the Advertising Standards Board (ASB).
Leading hosiery brand Voodoo, owned and operated by Pacific Brands Underwear Group, has previously come under fire from the ASB for provocative ads, such as its Voodoo ‘man staircase’ ad in 2000 and winter opaques ad in 2002.
At the time, complaints were made to the ASB that the Voodoo ads had contravened the industry Code of Ethics in relation to either the portrayal of people or the portrayal of sex, sexuality and/or nudity.
However, the brand has now joined forces with acclaimed fashion photographer Ellen von Unwerth to launch a new Voodoo campaign, set to again cause controversy. Voodoo said the campaign images use “provocation with statement imagery, and depicting women using their feminine power in a way that is more relevant for today’s women”.
Von Unwerth, recently named by Time Magazine as one of the 'All-time Top 100 Fashion Icons' [April 2012], shot the ‘Use Your Voodoo’ campaign at Milk Studios in New York city, featuring Australian model Alexandra Agoston.
The advertisement depicts larger than life women’s legs “using their Voodoo to take over the city in the ultimate expression of the power of Voodoo” to spruik the label's core products as well as the new autumn/winter 2012 fashion tights, now in store.
The brand has described the campaign idea as a way for women to embrace and unleash their feminine power, something that has always been important to the Voodoo brand, to “take over cities, open doors, shatter glass ceilings and bring men to their knees”.
The campaign is live from this month via street posters in urban locations, as well as billboards and bus backs to ensure high visibility and boost brand awareness.
Voodoo marketing manager Sarah Morgan said the brand has also recently expanded its presence in the social media space, in addition to Twitter, by connecting to Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
“We want to inspire women to use their Voodoo and social media provides us with the perfect medium to reach them in a way that is open and immediate.
“As leaders in fashion hosiery, Voodoo wants to open up and share what we find inspiring and exciting with fashion followers.
“Pinterest helps us to share our inspirations and create a visual expression of the brand and love for hosiery Facebook helps us open the communication lines so that our Voodoo fans can not only talk to us, but also each other about their Voodoo experiences. Voodoo is all about visual impact and with Instagram we can share our latest finds and design inspiration with the consumer as it evolves.”
Voodoo is just one of the brands under the Pacific Brands portfolio to land in hot water with the ASB over its advertising. As reported previously in Ragtrader [June 3] streetwear brand Diesel was confronted by the Outdoor Media Association (OMA) and the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) for breaching the Code of Ethics, in its “Be Stupid” campaign, which featured nudity.