Paris will not have “sexist and discriminatory” ads cluttering up its outdoor space, thank you very much.
Business Insider reports that the Council of Paris just signed off on a new contract to handle outdoor advertising throughout the city. But first the winner, JCDecaux, had to agree they’d forgo ads that are deemed deemed sexist, homophobic, ageist, or otherwise offensive. Mayor Anne Hidalgo told the Local it was “an important measure in bringing to a public space the daily fight against stereotypes and against violence towards women,” and advertisers will have to “ensure that no advertising of a sexist of discriminatory nature can be broadcast on the municipal display network.”
She said in an announcement that “after London and Geneva, which already put in place similar measures, Paris is showing the way by taking all possible actions to prevent the distribution and promotion of images degrading to certain categories of citizens.”
This comes on the heels of an outcry over a series of controversial Yves Saint Laurent ads criticized as “porno chic,” featuring, according to Ad Age—for instance—“an underweight model in fishnet tights opening her legs for the camera” as well as another with “a model in a leotard and rollerskate stilettos bending over a stool.” How that is supposed to sell clothes somebody with a better understanding of fashion will have to explain in the comments.