Are Suits...Shameless?

Dutch label Suit Supply recently came out with its new “Shameless” ad campaign. These ads show various positions in which women are seen with the skirts and/or shirts open by its complementary male model. Obviously risqué, these ads are stirring controversy and have even been asked to be removed from Suit Supply’s Facebook page.



This ad campaign is a great example of how design may create a disconnect between a company’s message and what is actually perceived. In previous class lectures, we have learned of form and content within a design. Here, we see how an ad’s content can be misinterpreted by the public. Companies hire ad agencies to help convey a message to the public about their company. The ads are a means in which companies can attract new customers and create a new following. But when the content is misinterpreted and the company’s message is different than what is received by its audience, a company often looks to its ads as the point of disconnect.



Whether or not Suit Supply really meant for their ads to be so offensive, it is a fact that their “Shameless” ads are displeasing to the eye. We do not focus on the company when looking at the ad, but rather its content. And once interpreted, we develop a negative connection between the ad and the company it represents.

The lesson is clear: be careful with how you design your ad campaigns because it may lose more sales than boost them.