are you offended by the poster for Rihanna's perfume Rogue? ASA decides it won't be put where children can see it. pic.twitter.com/Hx65hrM3ik
— Claire Hannah (@Claire_journo) June 4, 2014
Ads for singer Rihanna’s perfume can only be posted in the UK outside the view of children because the posters are “sexually suggestive,” the Advertising Standards Authority said Wednesday. The poster features a picture of Rihanna naked except for shoes—though no full frontal nudity is shown.
Parlux Fragrances, who made the fragrance, holds that Rihanna is known for her provocative songs and most women would not consider the ad demeaning. The ASA, an independent agency which oversees advertising in the UK, agreed that the ad was “unlikely to be demeaning to women or to cause serious or widespread offense” because she looked “defiant” rather than “vulnerable.”
But that didn’t mean the ad is appropriate for children, the ASA said.
“While we did not consider the image to be overtly sexual, we considered that Rihanna’s pose, with her legs raised in the air, was provocative. Because of this, and the fact that Rihanna appeared to be naked except for high heels, we concluded that the ad was sexually suggestive and should have been given a placement restriction to reduce the possibility of it being seen by children.”
This isn’t the first time Rihanna has come under fire for playing up her sex appeal: The controversy comes just days after Rihanna wore a very revealing dress to the 2014 CFDA Fashion Icon Award that was almost completely see-through.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Write to Eliana Dockterman at eliana.dockterman@time.com