What Ads Never Show, This One Does

If there's one thing you'll almost never see in an ad, it's a bare breast. That's due in part, of course, to a longstanding social stigma, but it's reinforced by the fact that most paid media consider a topless woman to be "indecent."

It's a ridiculously antiquated standard, but a seemingly inescapable one. Even amid the renaissance in candid conversations around women's vulvas and menstrual needs, there have been few strides toward erasing the restrictions against showing breasts.

(A 2016 PSA from David Buenos Aires skewered the double standard of portraying men and women's bodies by demonstrating a breast exam on a man.)

But a new campaign is unapologetically breaking the taboo.

Baby products brand Tommee Tippee aims to "demystify the complex realities of feeding" by showing the joys, frustrations and just everyday realities of breastfeeding. Nipples aren't just on display; they're celebrated.

If you're not squeamish about seeing nipples—and I doubt you would have made it this far into an email about breasts if you were—you should definitely check out the full spot. It's visually stunning but also just a wonderful reminder that no two parenting experiences are the same.

Will a spot like this help change such an enduring stigma? Let me know what you think at the email below or at @Griner on Twitter.

David Griner
International Editor, Adweek
[email protected]

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