New JCPenney Commercial Advertisement Promotes Teen Sex... Or is it All a Hoax?

A new ad recently released on the internet has many social conservatives up in arms due to its blatant promotion of teenage sex. The culprit...JCPenney. The commercial (seen here) seems to be a part of JCPenney's 'Every Day Matters' collection, but it is very easy to see that this ad does not fall in line with normal JCPenney promotions. So what happened?

Several companies have been thrust into the limelight because of controversial content in their advertisements and logos. When Rachel Ray, spokeswoman for Dunkin Donuts, was accused of wearing a scarf in a Dunkin Donuts ad, that according to Michelle Malkin and other conservative observers, looked too much like a keffiyeh, which is the traditional scarf worn by Arab men that has come to symbolize murderous Palestinian jihad, consumers quickly became outraged. Dunkin Donuts was reluctant at first to pull the ad, but with continual attention from traditional and online media outlets, they eventually decided it'd be easier to pull the ad to quiet the media hype.

At the other end of the spectrum, Starbucks recently made a logo change that many conservatives were not too fond of. The logo displays a mermaid with two tails yet looks very much like a naked woman with her legs spread apart. Starbucks says the image is based on a 16th century Norse design of a mermaid with two-tails and closely resembles the original logo that hung over the very first Starbucks store that opened in Seattle's Pikes Place Market in 1971. Despite the controversy, Starbucks has stood its ground and continues to use this new logo at several stores across the country.

With such high profile companies in the media spotlight, it was only natural that JCPenney would be scrutinized for their newest ad. The ad features two teenagers, a boy and a girl, each in their respective bedrooms. They repeatedly dress and undress, each timing themselves to see how fast they can put their clothes on. The end of the ad shows the two together walking past a parental figure. While no words are spoken, the ad clearly displays sexual intentions as well as intention to defy authority figures. With a surge in teen pregnancy as well as the ever-present matter of sexually transmitted diseases, this commercial, upon its internet release, quickly became a hot topic for debate.

While many individuals have scorned JCPenney for this ad, JCPenney quickly responded by claiming that they had nothing to do with the production of the ad and that they had no intention of releasing this ad onto mainstream television. After some inquiring, it was discovered that JCPenney was truthful in their statement. The 'Speed Dressing TV Advertisement' was created and designed by a third party candidate without JCPenney's knowledge or consent.

The ad was created by a former employer of JCPenney's advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi solely for the purpose of being submitted to the 2008 International Advertising Festival at Cannes. While the JCPenney name and logo as well as full credits were used in creating this ad, neither JCPenney nor Saatchi & Saatchi had any knowledge or involvement in its creation. JCPenney does not approve of the content or messages sent by this ad and have asked their advertising agency to remove it from online circulation.

While JCPenney and Saatchi & Saatchi have issued apologies and cleared their names, many conservatives are still up in arms about the message this ad is sending, whether the ad is real or not. While this ads sole purpose was entry in the Cannes Advertising Festival, the reality is that this ad promotes very controversial content. While some believe the ad is harmless and does not compare to other ads currently in circulation, others feel that continual exposure of material promoting teenage sex will only worsen already existing problems with the spreading of disease and teenage pregnancy. Too controversial for mainstream America? You decide.

Sources:

Burt Helm, "JCPenney Debuts 'Teenage Sex' ad - Or Someone Else Debuts It For Them?" BusinessWeek.

"Dunkin Donuts Pulls Ad Featuring Rachael Ray In A Scarf That Looks Too Arab" Huffington Post.

"Anger at 'Slutty' Starbucks Logo" BBC News.