Complaint:
This image offends the religious sensibilities of all citizens. It trivializes
the intense and dramatic moment during the Last Supper in which Christ
anticipates his crucifixion in order to liberate humanity from their
sins by appropriating religious symbols - such as loaves and fish - for
commercial purposes and by replacing the apostles with female fashion
models.
Advertiser’s Statement:
The advertisers´ primary defense was that modern society has enabled
women to achieve sexual equality with men only by sacrificing their femininity.
This advertisement´s interpretation of Leonardo´s painting
does not trivialize the sacred, but rather creates a new perception of
femininity by presenting men - instead of women - in a position of fragility.
Adjudication:
The Advertising Standards Authority of Italy ruled that the image offends
religious belief not only because it provokes a reaction among consumers
of the sacred profaned, but also because it attempts to elevate commercial
products to the same level as religious symbols. Rather than being merely
satirical, the message of this advertisement blurs the boundaries between
the sacred and the profane, and thus offends consumer sensibility.
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