London - An advertisement for luxury fashion brand Prada featuring a young Hollywood actress has been banned for appearing to sexualise a child.
In the image, British-born Mia Goth is seen lying on a bed through an open doorway, as if she is being spied on.
Although she was 21 when the pictures were taken, the Advertising Standards Authority said the styling meant she looked under 16.
The watchdog acted following a single complaint over the advert for the Italian label’s diffusion line Miu Miu, which appeared over a double-page spread in Vogue earlier this year.
The ASA said the complainant ‘felt that the image appeared to show a child dressed as an adult in a sexually suggestive pose’.
Prada defended the advertisement, arguing it did not have a sexual tone. The company said it “showed [Miss Goth] on crisp white bed sheets, wearing a sophisticated outfit, without a low neck-line, and nude make-up”.
And Vogue UK pointed out it had received no complaints and said its readers “would [not] think that the ad made any suggestion that the model was a child”.
However, the ASA disagreed and banned Prada from using the image again. “The model had a youthful appearance, was wearing very minimal make-up and clothes that appeared to be slightly too large,” the ruling states. “We considered those elements contributed to the impression that she was younger than 16 years of age.
“She was posed reclining on a bed, looking up directly to the camera through a partially opened door, which gave her an air of vulnerability and the image a voyeuristic feel.
“We considered that the crumpled sheets and her partially opened mouth also enhanced the impression that her pose was sexually suggestive. We considered that her youthful appearance, in conjunction with the setting and pose, could give the impression that the ad presented a child in a sexualised way.
“Therefore, we concluded that the ad was irresponsible and was likely to cause serious offence.”
The ruling comes after the ASA was asked to take a tougher line on the sexualisation of children following an inquiry on the issue set up by David Cameron.
In March it ordered US brand American Apparel to remove from its website an image of a model in a thong bodysuit who it said appeared to be under 16.
Goth is half British and half Canadian, and is best known for her role in the 2013 film Nymphomaniac by controversial director Lars von Trier. She is said to be engaged to her American co-star Shia LaBeouf.
Daily Mail