SEXIEST CALVIN KLEIN ADS
Jacob Elordi, Kendall Jenner, Beiber, Megan Thee Stallion+
Calvin Klein has never shied away from provocative advertising. In fact, part of the brand’s DNA has always centered on its titillating ads and the drool-worthy models/celebrities featured in them.
From Brooke Shields’ iconic 1980 ad (shot when she was just 15 years old and later banned by CBS) to the brand’s most recent campaign featuring Megan Thee Stallion, Calvin Klein has always had a knack for knowing just what to show us (or not show us, for that matter). Calvin Klein as a whole (the brand, the designer himself, the stores, the clothes) has consistently had a natural knack for the sensual, and fully leans into the “sex sells” mantra. As Klein himself once noted, not only does sex sell well, “it also wears well, it smells good, and it sleeps soundly.”
Klein’s natural predilection towards sex has never been vulgar or profane. Rather, he’s deft at removing any sense of shame from the sexual nature of his ads. He keeps the environment classy and the attitudes positive. He always knows how to gauge the temperature of the sexual climate correctly, and at the right moment. He quite literally strips the idea of sexuality to its bare bones, and shows us that sex is simply the most gratuitously commercial asset one has to offer.
During the years that he ruled the world of fashion with an iron fist, Calvin Klein continuously proved that he understood the power of the way one smells, the jeans one wears, and incidentally – the things that go on underneath them. He gave his brand an air of addiction of sorts – which is quite ironic given Klein’s own personal history of sexual addiction. But that doesn’t mean there was ever an overlaying air of trickery or weirdness, though. Calvin Klein always found a way to achieve minimum fuss with maximum buzz.
Let’s also not forget that it was Calvin Klein who had the brilliant audacity to weave his name into his undergarments’ waistbands, forever marrying the creator to the creation. With that simple move, Klein gave us a whole new kind of intimate branding that was unforgettable. Because let’s be honest: who’s going to forget the name of the man who’s literally embracing their genitals? His underwear ads are among the most memorable and iconic in fashion history – “Marky Mark” Wahlberg in the early 1990s, followed soon by Tyson Beckford and Naomi Campbell’s history-making ads, and even as recent as Beth Ditto and Bella Hadid’s 2019 campaign that showed us just how many ways one can define “sexy.”
As you look through some of our picks of Klein’s sexiest ads, take some time to appreciate and celebrate his respect for all things sex. You’ll be addicted in no time.
