La Perla boutique in New York: pointing out the skeletal mannequin in its window display.
A mannequin so thin that it was designed with protruding ribs has turned into a PR headache for a lingerie brand.
This week, a Twitter user posted a photo of a La Perla boutique in New York pointing out the skeletal mannequin in its window display.
La Perla received so much feedback that it removed the mannequin from the store and pledged not to use it in displays again.
Brands have become increasingly aware that the way they portray women in advertising can be a chance for exposure – good or bad. Dove has spent a decade linking its brand to self-esteem, for example. More recently, lingerie and lounge brand Aerie won free publicity with a promise not to photoshop models in its ads. "We are in the process of redesigning all La Perla stores with a new concept image and the mannequins that are currently displayed in our U.S. stores will no longer be used," the company said in a statement.
Viral video
Online video is becoming more important for marketers every day. This year spending on it is set to jump by roughly 52 per cent.
Digital ad spending on video will hit $255.1-million in 2014, according to a recent report from research firm eMarketer. That's still just a small fraction of the $3.7-billion in digital advertising spending forecast this year, but it is a fast-growing segment.
The report predicted that the overall display advertising category – which includes banner ads online as well as online video – will grow 18 per cent to $1.47-billion.