In 2013, the photographic community was stunned by Jaroslav Wieczorkiewicz’s highly acclaimed creative images (NSFW) of pin-up girls layered in milk. Wieczorkiewicz’s work is in the headlines once again, but under a different light. Fairlife, a Coca-Cola company has launched a billboard campaign using Wieczorkiewicz’s milky pin-ups to sell its product line of milk. The sexy pin-ups have caused an uproar, with many people upset at the company for objectifying women to sell one of life’s basic necessities.
With one of Fairlife’s ads stating “Drink what she's wearing,” it is understandable why some consumers may find such imagery provocative. However, according to Fairlife, its product is unique and requires a unique marketing strategy.
We knew that our fairlife purely nutritious milk™ was going to be a game changer in the milk category and we believed that our unique milk deserved an equally unique marketing campaign when we tested the product six months ago in Denver and Minneapolis. That’s why the work of London-based photographer Jaroslav Wieczorkiewicz caught our eye. His Milky Pin-Ups collection turns real milk into high fashion to recreate the classic mid-20th century pin-ups of American artists like Gil Elvgren (1914-1980). Elvgren’s popular art advertised wholesome all-American brands, featured in publications like the Saturday Evening Post and Good Housekeeping.
Wieczorkiewicz’s work epitomizes our fairlife philosophy of embracing the future, with a nod to what’s wholesome and timeless. We hope that our fans recognize an instant classic in our purely nutritious milk™.
With all that has been said, Fairlife has recently pulled the campaign because the ads gathered too much negative attention for a seemingly positive product. In a statement Fairlife mentioned...
The feedback that we received from the good folks in Minneapolis and Denver was that while they l-o-v-e-d the milk, some people loved the pin-up campaign, and others didn’t... So we’ve moved on and going forward we’ve got other cool advertisements coming your way!
While it is clear to see Fairlife’s intention to use the tradition of pin-ups advertising wholesome products, do you think the company crossed the line? Is it okay for women to be objectified under the context of fine art, or should this be avoided no matter the context?
"Provocative?" Gorgeous girls with huge knockers, fantastic legs and other asssets, practically nude, in suggestive poses... I'd say it's borderline soft porn :)
I'm huge fan of Jaroslav's, would've loved to buy a few cartoons at my local Trader Joe's - here on the West Coast we aren't as conservative!
soft porn ? you gotta get out more. milk does a body good. these are awesome and unique pics. they do what an ad is supposed to do, get people talking about the product.
Apparently the tone of my comment went over your head, bud. All good... no harm, no foul.
what's the point of making great art if it's just gonna be stashed away in some private collection, yeah I went there:)
Next thing you know they are going to be closing The Louvre.
They weren't 'banned'. They were part of an old ad campaign that ended six months ago, and the company is moving on to a different style.
Top notch research, bro.
Milk! It does a body good!
Now that was a good campaign! I still remember that too!
Some people need to get a life. If you have time to complain and moan about a great concept that has been really well done ( talking about the photography, not the marketing concept) then those people have way too much time on their hands.
I've defended questionable headlines here at Fstoppers in the past. I understand the need for a strong headline and even pushing the limits, but these ads were not banned at all from what I read in the article. Arthur, you could have used "axed" or any number of other words that would have kept your headline in the realm of truth. Now, look at me! I'm one of those people complaining about headlines.
This feminist bullcrap is going way to far in the US and UK now. Because, and i'm sorry if i offend any informed US citizen, US stupidity and chaos gets overboard with internet nowadays.
Woman are beautiful, and when a photographer wants a good model is not to make an object out of her, those who do shall not be considered photographers.
Here in Europe it's becoming a trend this kind of thing, woman rights blah blah blah, objects blah blah.
Those pictures are great, they look great! I don't see objects there, I see gorgeous woman, and a truck loaded with good taste and technique by Jaroslav Wieczorkiewicz (is this guy Michael's cousin?! xD)!!
I'm sorry, how were these "banned" exactly? I didn't see anything in the article text about banning.
Most of the complaints I've seen about this have had more to do with Coca-Cola owning and promoting "healthy milk" than the actual images in the advertising.
I think the photos are brilliant, but to me they don't really translate as advertising a healthy brand of milk. Just "hot" girls with milk dresses. They don't really make me want to drink milk. I'm gay, and if these were men I still wouldn't want to drink their milk because of it. I honestly think a better campaign could be used to make myself and others want to actually try the product, so I don't really feel bad for them going in a different direction. I think it will be good for the brand. The photographer is still getting lots of attention, so I see it as a win win.
As a photographer, I think these images are amazing. They're technically impressive and beautifully shot. As an advertising creative director with 18 years of experience in the biz, I think this campaign is a fail. What we see here is a classic case of someone (client, designer, who knows?) working backwards. They saw these cool images and reverse-engineered a campaign around them. Sometimes this can work, but most of the time it falls flat... as it does here. "Drink what she's wearing? Ok... a kinky and provocative headline that grabs attention, but a mostly gross idea. And then the milk is all over the floor?! Drink that too? Nope.
This looks perfectly fine to me and the images are awesome.
I'm wondering what they would say if they would see some of the billboards here in Germany, like a roof in a female butt to promote the service of a roof repair company :)
I like it I think that it is very tasteful my done
Basic necessity?
Cavemen drank cow milk?