Outrage over 8ft tall 'pornographic' posters in shopping centre... for MEN's suits

By Daily Mail Reporter
Updated: 07:46 EDT, 18 November 2010

Labelled Shameless, it is hardly surprising that Suit Supply's sexually explicit advertising campaign has provoked a flood of complaints from members of the public.

Eight-foot high backlit images in the Dutch company's flagship fashion store at the Westfield Centre in central London show a man in a suit next to a woman touching her own naked breast and revealing a glimpse of nipple.

They also depict a man driving as he gropes a female passenger, and a seated woman reclining obligingly as a male companion lifts her dress to examine her underwear.

Shameful: One of the least offensive of Suit Supply's 8ft tall images that shoppers can't avoid at the Westfield Centre

The Westfield centre and the Advertising Standards Authority have been bombarded with complaints that the images - we have published some of the more demure examples  - are sexist in objectifying women and are displayed where they can be easily seen by children.

The Shameless campaign has also been a major talking point on the microblogging site Twitter, and has been banned by social networking site Facebook because the pictures were deemed 'too offensive'. Even the liberated Dutch advertising watchdog has taken exception to the campaign following its launch in the Netherlands.

The images, which are scheduled to remain in the Westfield shop window until the end of the January sales, are comparatively tame compared with others on the firm's website, which according to one complaint, borders on 'S&M style activity'.

Causing a stir: 'Many parents would be upset to have their children exposed to such material while taking them to the newly opened indoor ice-skating rink', says one complaint about the Suit Supply campaign

Unsuitable: One of the Shameless campaign images in the Westfield Centre store that have caused complaints

Most pictures depict women with their skirts up or dresses pulled down while the male models show off the brand's latest offerings.

Joey Abbis-Stubbs, 23,  from Westbourne Grove, London, wrote of on the beyondretrograde blog: "[In] a family-friendly shopping centre, I am sure many parents would be upset to have their children exposed to such material while taking them to the newly opened indoor ice-skating rink.'

She condemned the photographs as 'blatant objectification of women', adding: 'As well as offending parents and children, did Westfield not think that this sexually submissive and explicit advertising campaign would cause offence to its many female visitors?'

The charity worker said she had approached Westfield, and was told it was 'a sign of the times'.

'They said they would look into it. But the adverts are going to be up until the end of the January sales, so lots and lots of children will have the opportunity to see them.'

Shoppers at the Westfield Centre in White City, west London, where the Suit Supply ad campaign has caused offence

A reply forwarded to her from Suit Supply stated: 'Our campaign is called "Shameless" and is shot by the renowned photographer Carli Hermès. In our opinion the photographs of the campaign are a well-balanced mix of style, humour and sex, the essence of fashion!

'We fully disagree that our campaign would be obscene and denigrating towards women. On the contrary, the women depicted in the photographs are obviously in the lead.'

The Advertising Standards Authority said complaints had been referred to Consumer Direct as it only deals with paid-for advertising space rather than commercial premises. The consumer rights watchdog has refused to comment.

It is not the first time Suit Supply has caused controversy. Last year it was heavily criticised for a 'Start Smoking' campaign aimed at selling smoking jackets.