Off-price fashion and lifestyle retailer TK Maxx has managed to dispel a complaint lodged with Ad Standards over a recent Facebook advertisement in which the camera angle briefly allowed viewers to see up a model’s skirt.
The 30-second video advert featured a range of models twirling a ‘TK Maxx’ banner above their heads, with one scene shot at a low angle beneath a woman wearing a blue dress.
According to an Ad Standards community panel, the fleeting scene exposed parts of her legs while she twirled to model her outfit, but they added that the overall tone and theme did not depict a person without clothing or covering or partial or suggested nudity.
TK Maxx shared a statement to Ad Standards, arguing the advertisement did not breach any section of the AANA Code of Ethics, particularly section 2.4 relating to sex, sexuality and nudity.
The off-price retailer shared that it ran two lots of consumer testing of the advertisement before sharing across channels, and both with third parties. Both tests came back with positive feedback on the ad, with no issues or flags raised.
TK Maxx also obtained Clear Ads approval prior to launch, approved without issue and was awarded a G rating.
“The intention with the Twirling advertisement was to create a fun, surprising, exciting film that showcases a range of quality, fashionable products from TK Maxx at amazing value,” the company shared in its statement. “The opening scene was shot in a city Laneway and choreographed to feel like a ‘catwalk’.
“The low angle was designed to mirror cameras shooting models on an elevated runway. Throughout the advertisement, a range of dynamic camera moves and angles were used to create energy and dynamism.”
One of the key issues raised in the complaint was around the action of ‘upskirting’. The Ad Standards panel considered that the ad did not show someone sneaking a camera under her skirt, but rather depicted her twirling while aware of the fact that people are watching her model the clothes.
At the end of the review, the panel was satisfied TK Maxx’s ad did not feature sex, sexuality or nudity, and that the ad could not be said to have breached section 2.4 of the AANA Code of Ethics.
The complaint was summarily dismissed.