French fashion chain La Redoute is on crisis management red alert after a naked man was spotted in a promotional photograph advertising children’s clothes on its website.
Web users spotted the full-frontal nude standing knee deep in seawater in the background of a shot showing four children playing on a beach wearing La Redoute outfits and the man has since become a viral hit.
La Redoute was able to respond quickly to the error, apologising for the mistake and taking the image down from its website, but this has not proved sufficient to contain the incident.
The image’s anonymous nude star has since appeared in several viral photo incarnations, including a crude mockup replacing his head with that of disgraced former International Monetary Fund boss Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
La Redoute’s PR disaster was also compounded by the site’s virtual magnifying glass, which was used to zoom in on the naked man rather than to view clothes items in more detail.
JAN
About the Author
Simon has worked in PR for over 10 years, specialising in copywriting for a broad variety of B2B and B2C clients. Throughout, he has given a voice to position clients in leading trade and consumer titles throughout the UK and Europe, using press releases, features, ‘expert voice’ articles, brochures, leaflets, direct mail, annual reports and social media. In a prior role, he co-ordinated the press office for a busy NHS Trust, including event management and crisis response. He is passionate about cinema and in his spare time moonlights as a freelance film journalist and contributor to Total Film magazine, giving him first-hand experience both in writing for a consumer audience and in understanding the requirements of editors.