A racy viral ad created for JC Penney that took home a prestigious award from the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival last week has been blasted by the client and ordered removed from circulation, with the retailer livid that the spot -- which gives the impression JC Penney condones teen sex -- was produced without its consent.
Dubbed "Speed Dressing," the ad depicts two hormonally charged teens, at times in as little as their underwear, practicing how quickly they can get in and out of their clothes in order to have some frisky fun before a parent takes notice. The spot ends with the supertitle "Today's the day to get away with it."
"No one at JC Penney was aware of the ad or participated in the creation of it in any way," the retailer said in a statement. "The commercial was never broadcast, but rather was created by a former employee at JC Penney's advertising agency, Saatchi & Saatchi, solely as an award submission without JC Penney's knowledge or prior approval."
And despite the retailer's wrath, some insiders insist the pair isn't headed for a break. JC Penney Chief Marketing Officer Mike Boylson told the Wall Street Journal it was having a "serious discussion" with the firm, but that the company's relationship with them "is beyond the scope of this one incident."
The ad:
