Ban on Jack Wills provocative catalogue

Jack Wills, the young fashion brand, which has attracted high end university students and public school, preppy British types, has taken its new advertising campaign too far. It may well describe its DNA as ‘hedonistic’ but the label, which specialises

in casual yet fashion credible attire, has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority from re-printing their ‘provocative’ catalogue.

An image of a young woman wearing only a pair of Jack Wills knickers with her leg draped around a near naked man were deemed inappropriate for young teenagers by the ASA. It was one of four adverts inside the brand’s 2011 Spring Term Handbook, a catalogue sent to thousands of customers.

Jack Wills’ slogan is ‘fabulously British’ and has garnered awareness from a cool teen set by amongst other advertising sponsoring polo matches, and the racy catalogue imagery has even heralded a Facebook page called, The Jack Wills Nipple appreciation society.

This time, however, the saucy pictures have been the target of many complaints by parents, who think the imagery is encouraging the idea of sexual activity, rather than promoting the actual clothing.

Jack Wills said the brand drew inspiration from the ‘hedonistic university lifestyle’. It said the marketing is intended ‘to project a positive, fun and sometimes flirtatious’ image it believes was an accurate reflection of student life. It insisted the catalogue was only sent to over-18s.

However, the ASA said the images were likely to be seen by younger teenagers and may well appeal to them, ‘because they portrayed a lifestyle to which they might aspire’. It said the partial nudity ‘went beyond what could be described as fun or flirtatious’, and ‘was sufficiently provocative as to present a risk to younger teenagers’.

The catalogue was found to breach advertising rules governing harm and offence to children and is banned from being distributed again in its current form.

Jack Wills said it had nothing to add to what it had told the ASA.

The complaints largely referenced the fact England has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Western Europe.