Agent Provocateur window displays in House of Fraser

[Fairyflaps]

These 2 images are among several massive photos filling the window displays at our local House of Fraser store promoting Agent Provocateur. The windows face onto the towns main pedestrianised shopping street, so there is no avoiding them if you go into town.

Am I right in thinking these are not appropriate images for such a public space? Within the lingerie department in the store maybe, but not on the High Street.

Going into the store and talking to the manager has not been successful. She just said that decisions on window displays was made by their head office, and I would have to take it up with them. Their website says it may take several days for them to respond to an email, and I have not been able to find a phone number for their head office.

What do you think?
And any suggestions of how I can complain more effectively?

There is something very strange about the light on the first one's throat/mouth

There is a photoshopped lighter area over the mouth that, when combined with the photoshopping of the neck and collarbone, shows the image of an erect penis and testicles superimposed upon the woman's face and neck.

Subliminal advertising I think

There is something very strange about the light on the first one's throat/mouth. And the second one has something around her neck.
I thought she had shaving cream on at first. When I looked closer, I decided the bright light was to check for chin hairs. Sexy

My first thought on the first photo was that her hands were bound? I had to look quite closely to see they weren't, maybe that's the suggestion?

Mind you I have just watched that ted bundy thing so maybe it's on my mind

Also happy to complain if you have an email or number

Tasteless, trashy, tawdry, tarty. Ultimately though, boring as all get out. Laughable even. Perhaps the black stuff is duct tape, that which Trump is convinced women are being bound in and smuggled across the Southern Border!.

Totally inappropriate. Everyone needs to comment on Twitter or write in to complain.

Eugh grim. Just depressing.

Are we supposed to want to look like that?

I think I'll spend my money in a shop that shows respect for women instead. Thanks for letting us know where you stand Fraser's.

Looking at the lighting on the first photograph, her chin does indeed look like a bellend!

TBH it's a bit of a shit photo all round. The posture looks as if she's checking for zits or chin hairs and her facial expression suggests she's found some. Her hands look as if she's just hooked her knickers out of her crack, and the bra's riding up at the back so it doesn't even fit.

Indeed, that a manufacturer can use an image of their lingerie products that shows they don't know what size bra someone should wear and their pants ride up - well, they're a bit shit at their job, aren't they?

They forgot the actual underwear on the second one.

Only thing that’s left is the packaging ribbon.

I am confused as to why you’d want knickers that give you a builder’s bum? Is this a new trend?

Totally inappropriate. Everyone needs to comment on Twitter or write in to complain.

Not tweet. That's exactly what he wants.

@fairyflaps you’re right. In Aylesbury these are next to a children’s play area which makes it worse. I complained to the store and they said nothing they can do. I complained to ASA who also said nothing they can do as it’s a shop window display and they do not cover these. Have emailed house of Fraser but expecting a response for a few days. Other suggestions from ASA were local MP and local Council

@Jevroke would the Town Centre Partnership in Aylesbury be supportive if you complained to them?

I went into the store again to speak to the manager, a different one this time. Still no joy, and there was no phone number for head office that they would give out. Apparently Agent Provocateur will have paid to have had their adverts in the windows.

My conversation with the woman on a concession counter while I waited for the manager and explained what I was complaining about was much more productive. She was very taken aback.

Agree it's not nice to have this in a high street window.

Like a few other posters what strikes me is how thin the model appears to be. If you imagine the model with a more "zaftig" figure, it becomes even more overtly sexual and even clearer that it's tasteless to have this in a shop window.

Sometimes I wonder if really slim models are so that "sexy" stuff can be seen as "high fashion" rather than just "porn."

It also looks as though she's wearing the suspenders over the knickers, so going to the loo will be awkward.

I wonder if it's for Valentine's Day? If so, they're probably not fussed what ladies think about it, then just want men to buy it!

The men can buy it, but they can’t make us wear it.

If anyone made me wear this, they would be very sorry they did.

It will a sight they won’t forget in a hurry.

Goodness me! I know this is going to go down like a tonne of bricks, but I’m going to take the risk as someone who has been described as a lipstick wearing skirt wearing feminist. I’m in my 40s and cool with that description.

We are living in a world of FGM, breast ironing, the pay gap, child marriage and the necessity of the Me Too movement! And we are fussing over a little lingerie! Only friends see me in my underwear!

This is why so many men, who should be on side, feminism is good for positive thinking men too, will not take feminism seriously!

I'm afraid I'm with Starlight.

Starlight and Doyoumind

Often I feel the same as you about advertising aimed at adults, but in this case I think the images are a bit too much. The second one doesn’t even look like underwear, just like a naked woman tied up. Also although this is aimed at adults, as it’s a shop window, anyone can see it and I certainly am not happy with my children being exposed to such extreme sexualised objectification of women.

I completely understand that underwear can be advertised.. but.. it's never the useful stuff is it. It's always the stuff with a barely covered woman.

BTW. Try this with blokes, have them try to do their shopping with 10foot mainly naked men in come-hither postures surrounding them, they find it a bit uncomfortable too!

I do have one confession. When I saw these adverts in the shop window, the first thing I did was take a picture of the first one zoomed in on the back of the pants to send to DP, with the caption 'look, they think of everything, knickers with a fart vent' - so I don't think he'll be able to look at the advert in the expected way any more.

Starlight I find it possible to think about all those issues and this one. Maybe I am a genius.
I tend not to decide what I think is important based on how men might view it. That must be exhausting.

Starlight

I'm not sure what "type" of feminist you consider yourself to be, but this feminist looks at these pictures and the influence of porn and bondage culture positively permeate from these photos. I am not a prude--I think a woman's body is beautiful in all its many forms, and some boobs or a curvaceous butt are lovely. But this... makes me want to vomit. It is a reflection of what women are supposed to be and want to be in our modern culture. I reject it fully. I would show my children, and we'd laugh. "Where are her undies? She's going to be awfully cold!" "Look! She has gas,
too!" On your own, with your children,
you CAN dismantle any shred of allure or power these photos might convey.

I don't think it's a big deal. They aren't naked, all the bits and pieces are covered so who cares?

The pictures aren't that good though - as others have said the one on the left looks like she's doing a difficult fart lol.

Starlight
Can't you see that fgm, breast ironing and porn in a shop window are all part of the same flipping thing? That women are fuckholes there for male pleasure only? That women are objects, toys even?