Tuesday December 5, 2000

Racy Commercials

The outrageously racy commercial campaigns that are causing "ad nauseam" and even have MTV saying enough is enough. We have the EXTRA Spin on some of the worst offenders.

A beauty in the buff is selling diamonds -- call us crazy -- but we don't think she's wearing one. Lovely ladies are wearing the Charles David shoes they're selling, but nothing else.

Barbara Lippert is the advertising critic for Adweek magazine and she says, "They need to get attention and if you really want to get attention you use sex."

Even Barbara is surprised at how daring the "baring it all" in ads has become. She says, "They have to keep upping the ante on what shocks us or at least what gets our attention."

In case you don't recognize him without his clothes on, that's rock star Mark McGrath from the group "Sugar Ray" making music, as it were, in the latest controversial ad from Candies. Too controversial in fact, for TV. So hot is this TV commercial that the usually liberal-minded MTV network only wanted it airing after 10 PM. Candies decided to pull it altogether.

This commercial has raised a lot more than eyebrows. What concerns critics is that Candies targets young girls 14-19. The Catholic League's Patrick Skully says, "We used to have boundaries of what's on TV and in magazines. Every year they're obliterated, not just moved, but blown out of the water."

Patrick is particularly concerned about the increasing number of ads featuring same sex couples. He says, "I think it's unnecessary instead of selling a product they're selling a lifestyle."

Barbara Lippert says, "I don't think these advertisers are using gays in ads for shock value. I think they're trying to appeal to that demographic."

As for that shocking Candies commercial? It's back to the editing room, and a new, cleaned-up version will hit the airwaves this spring.