Lane Bryant underwear ad deemed too racy for NBC, ABC
Clothing retailer Lane Bryant is finding itself at odds with TV networks over its underwear ads again.
The company submitted a television ad for its "This Body" campaign featuring Ashley Graham and other plus-size models in their underwear as well as some "mild nudity and a quick shot of a breastfeeding model." Networks NBC and ABC reportedly rejected the ad due to decency standards, according to TMZ.
Lane Bryant had a similar situation with ABC in 2010 when an earlier lingerie ad was turned down.
A spokesperson for the brand struck back at the dismissals, saying in a statement, "The This Body campaign was meant to be a fun way for us to celebrate and honor women of all shapes and sizes. What is too much for some does not hold true for others. All women should be celebrated and feel empowered to express themselves as they see fit. We want her to know she can attract as much media attention, look just as striking as any woman, and decide what beautiful means to her."
"The This Body commercial holds nothing back. It is a true celebration of women of all sizes doing what makes THEM feel beautiful whether its breastfeeding their newborn, flaunting their bodies the way they see fit, breaking down barriers all around and simply being who they are or want to be."
A spokesman for NBC, however, clarified that the ad was not technically rejected, but that the network would prefer the spot be re-edited.
"As part of the normal advertising standards process, we reviewed a rough cut of the ad and asked for minor edits to comply with broadcast indecency guidelines," a statement from NBC read. "The ad was not rejected and we welcome the updated creative."
But Lane Bryant has no intention of making changes. "The first edit was turned down out of hand, and while we clearly created the commercial to air we will not edit it as we believe it's a beautiful and appropriate expression of women's bodies," a company spokesperson said in a statement to the Rack. "We do plan to air this through our own media and through digital channels where they find it as acceptable."
Watch the ad for yourself and let us know if you think it's too racy for TV: