Dolce and Gabbana Ad Banned in Spain

When it comes to sex and fashion, nobody does it better than Dolce & Gabbana [D &G]. The duo team of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana burst on Sicily's fashion scene in 1985 with sex, seduction and more sex. Since then, D &G have continued to push the envelope especially when it comes to marketing and promoting their product line of high end clothing. This time, it has backfired. The Spain government recently banned their advertisement below. According to the authorities, they believe D& G's advertisement promotes the gang rape of women.

When I first saw the advertisement, I didn't pay much attention to it. I mean it is well documented that approximately 5000 advertisements or more hit the average American on a daily basis. See for example, New York Times Article. Upon examining it, I realize it does suggest gang rape. I did a little more review of the pattern and practice of D &G advertisements and found numerous D &G advertisements that seemed to have consistent sexual and violent overtones including suggestions of gang rapes of men and women.

From a consumer perspective, I believe fashion companies have a HUGE responsiblity as any other non-fashion corporation with how they package and sell their products. As an industry insider, I still hold the same view. "Artistic" or controversial advertisements packaged as "art" do not trump corporate responsibility.

Specific to Africa, Western brands and their numerous advertisements, particularly North America are saturated all over the continent. For all, do the values of the brand you are wearing matter? The West has made tremendous strides towards gender equality. Africa still has a long way to go. Specific to Africans in the West and those in the continent, in an era of an epidemic of increased prostitution in certain places in Africa, smuggling of young African girls to Europe, especially Italy, from Africa, as sex workers and seemingly low self esteem among young African girls in Africa, do you believe the D& G advertisement above, when viewed by the African male, especially in Africa, sends the wrong message. Interested in your thoughts.