Every year, companies invest millions of dollars in ads that never see the light of the small screen. Luckily, they usually end up on the internet where we can fully enjoy them and (often) wonder why they were banned in the first place. Sometimes, the reason is obvious, which is the case with one commercial showing vegetarians having better sex. Other times, it just seems ridiculous to see an ad shut down because it features Scarlett Johansson getting freaky with a straw, but television networks make odd decisions while seemingly having no issue with cheeky Victoria’s Secret ads.
The latest and greatest banned ad comes from Lane Bryant, who unleashed a fairly sizzling spot featuring SI: Swim rookie Ashley Graham that has been banned by several networks. However, the ad doesn’t even approach the steam factor of Victoria’s Secret, so folks are left to wonder whether Lane Bryant’s plus-sized models are the reason for the ban hammer.
Of course, there’s also the theory that companies may create these ads with the purpose of being banned. Anything forbidden automatically becomes more appealing to the masses, and indeed, some people will seek these ads out on purpose. All of this scandal only increases brand awareness, so the joke is on the tv networks. Or is it on us?
