The NSFW Kid's Clothing Ad: French Fashion Company's Major Faux Pas
Rule #1 in advertising: don't shoot a kids' clothing campaign on a nude beach.
La Redoute, a popular French clothing company, released a promotional ad for their children's line. The photo, posted on the mail-order chain's website, showed four kids in colorful beachwear...and a man in his birthday suit off in the distance. The French are notoriously comfortable with public nudity on shorelines; but that may change now that photo shoots like these are cropping up on beaches unexpectedly.
The uncensored photo was online for almost an entire day, racking up viral steam and countless screen grabs, before the company realized they were in a pickle and removed the shot.
"La Redoute apologizes for the photograph published on its site and is taking steps to remove it," a company rep hastily scrawled on Twitter.
On Facebook the apologies continued: "We will strengthen the validation process of all brand communications for this cannot happen again in the future." Over 1000, commenters responded to the update-several were more amused than offended.
Some even wondered whether the gaffe was a stunt planned by the company. "A marketing coup by La Redoute's web team ahead of winter sales," remarked a sceptic.
La Redoute's team certainly didn't seem like they were in on the joke. In an official statement to press, a spokesperson said: "An internal inquiry has been opened to determine how the error happened."
It's not a fun day to be a La Redoute art director. It's even worse to be the naked man caught on camera. His image has been meme-ified in all its glory; in one retouched shot floating online he's naked near the French President, in another he's emerging behind a sword-wielding Darth Vadar. Moral of the story: watch where you skinny dip.
