CALVIN KLEIN apologises for ‘queerbaiting’ campaign featuring model Bella Hadid

CALVIN KLEIN has apologised for “queerbaiting” after campaign video featuring model Bella Hadid kissing popular digital art persona on Instagram, Lil Miquela offended the LGTBQ+ community.Users called out the video, which garnered more than 160,000 views in less than a week, for exploiting homosexuality to sell products. In a statement posted on Twitter, a spokesperson said the company “understands and acknowledges how featuring someone who identifies as heterosexual in a same-sex kiss could be perceived as queerbaiting.”However, it said the concept is part of its #MYCALVINS campaign to promote freedom of expression for a wide range of identities, including a spectrum of gender and sexual identities. The response has gotten over 250 likes since.https://twitter.com/CalvinKlein/status/1129521041309614085?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1129521041309614085&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.marketing-interactive.com%2Fcalvin-klein-apologises-for-queerbaiting-campaign-featuring-model-bella-hadid%2FThe statement also clarified that the campaign was challenge conventional norms and stereotypes in advertising, and explore the blurred lines between reality and imagination. In the video, Hadid kissed Miquela, a 19-year-old robot.The voice over in the 30-second video said, “Life is about opening doors. Creating new dreams that you never knew could exist.” Since the video has drawn flak, commentators on YouTube have been split about whether the concerns by the LGTBQ+ community is valid. Marketing has reached out to CALVIN KLEIN for more comments.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2jdb3o2UtERead more:Calvin Klein launched Fall 2018 multimedia campaign featuring new jeansCalvin Klein quietly reveals a new logoCalvin Klein invites the world to fill up ‘I __ in #mycalvins’