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| Orchard Road will never be the same again, grandma... | (image source) |
Abercrombie & Fitch has stated that the imagery plastered on the billboards is "universally recognized" and all the "necessary licence" was acquired to put it up on Orchard Road. I mean, duh! A&F has been known for its racy ads and what not, but it is always done with professionalism and there is legally nothing wrong with it. And with these billboards on Knightsbridge, its all purely professional and wholly artistic: "We trust that the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore would not have granted the licence... if the images were deemed to be undesirable or of an indecent nature under the relevant laws of Singapore."
I can just hear the BIG slap in the face that A&F gave the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS) - the ignorant brats who whined to everyone they could think off in an attempt to have the billboards taken down. The ASAS is used to getting its way because of its contacts in the industry. Legally, the ASAS doesn't have the power to force companies to pull down ads it deems indecent, but its influence does. After having hopped from one place to another in its attempt to find a way to get the billboards down, the ASAS was told that only A&F could take them down because A&F put them up itself. But that was not going to stop them - oh no! They then ran across town and complained to the Media Development Authority (MDA) which does have legal power to take action under the Undesirable Publications Act "if it finds that the photographic image exploits human nudity." The MDA did voice support, but nothing was done. Obviously, the Abercrombie & Fitch marketing had valid and solid permits that the ASAS was trying to overlook...SLAP!
Come on! Abercrombie & Fitch is an internationally renowned fashion retailer that commands respect in the industry. Every move it makes is done carefully and professionally (how many more times can I mention "professional"?). The ASAS must have been out of its mind if it thought it was going to get its way over this picture - a picture that was the main marketing image of Back-to-School 2008 and went on to become one of A&F's iconic and signature images. Since its first appearance, the image has been featured in the promotion of multiple prominent flagship openings worldwide and is now the representative image of FIERCE cologne, too!
The 12 meter (roughly 39 foot) billboards are not going anywhere. Enjoy them! A&F Singapore opens December 15th! Stay FIERCE!
