FASHION Magazine
-
They said/We said: Oh Lola! Dakota Fanning’s questionably inappropriate ad for Marc Jacobs’ new fragrance is banned in the UK
Marc Jacobs’ new fragrance Oh, Lola!, described by the designer as the more sensual sister to Lola, his previous bestselling scent, is proving to live up to its Lolita namesake.
The ad for the fragrance, which features teenage It girl Dakota Fanning and was photographed by Juergen Teller, has been banned in the UK. The British Advertising Standards Authority claims they received complaints that the ad is sexualizing children since Fanning is seen holding the bottle between her legs while wearing a short skirt. Coty, the company that produces the fragrance disagrees with the BSA’s rulings, arguing that the ad isn’t indecent since it doesn’t show “any private body parts or sexual activity.” They also point out that the fragrance’s target audience (people age 25 and over) wouldn’t find the image offensive since it appears alongside similar images in “highly stylized fashion magazines.”
On the other hand, Jacobs may possibly consider the ad a success, since he picked Fanning to star in the campaign because he thought she could be a contemporary Lolita—seductive, yet sweet.