New Pakistani Billboards Show Clothes On Ships, Not Models

"We aren't required to show a semi-dressed woman in our ads," said one Islamic label.

Several Pakistani labels have debuted billboards that display their clothing's prints instead of the clothes themselves.

telegraph.co.uk

These labels, like J by Junaid Jamshed (their sailboat ad is pictured above), are trying to "avoid the anger of Islamic hardliners" who would object to the objectification of women in public advertising, according to The Telegraph. However, said J. Lawn customer relations manager Nadir Kahn, "In Islam, women have a lot of respect. We feel that women are not to be flaunted across the city on billboards.” And, he pointed out to The Express Tribune, "We aren’t required to show a semi-dressed woman in our ads...People say the fashion industry is like this and like that but it’s important to know that if you really want to, you can move fashion forward the right way as well."

adgeekdaily.com

Almirah Lawn Prints, another Pakistani brand, chose to use headless mannequins instead of models for its ads.

In May 2012, Pakistani billboards featuring bare-shouldered women were covered up by unidentified protestors.

SAAD HASAN FOR THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE / Via telegraph.co.uk

The blacked-out billboard (which featured Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif and was meant to sell soap) reads "Sell your clothes, not your dignity." It was taken down shortly after.