Update (10/27/11): Your response to our call to action has been overwhelming, and we’re pleased to report that Jimmy Choo Ltd has now agreed to remove the offensive ad from all of their stores, all print media, and their website. They emphasize that they did not mean to offend, and they apologize.
We commend Jimmy Choo Ltd for understanding our concerns and acting so quickly.
Glenn Sacks, MA
Executive Director,
Fathers and Families
Toni K. Troop Director of Communications
Jane Doe Inc., The Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence
Fathers and Families has joined with Jane Doe Inc., The Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence in a joint letter to protest an advertisement from the luxury shoes, clothing, and bags company Jimmy Choo Ltd. The ad, which depicts a woman stepping on a man’s head as he lies prone on the floor, appears on their website, in print ads, and in many of their storefronts. We explained:
Unwittingly, your ad both trivializes domestic violence and makes it appear that partner abuse is acceptable. The man in the photo appears to be in fear and possibly in pain or even dead, and the woman pictured seems to be about to put her full weight on the man”s skull.
We suggest you call Jimmy Choo Ltd CEO Joshua Schulman and Chief Creative Officer Tamara Mellon and let them know that the ad is offensive and should be removed. They can be reached in their New York office at (212) 319-1111. Jane Doe Inc. is one of Massachusetts’ most prominent domestic violence organizations. The ad came to our attention from longtime F & F member Greg Peterson, who saw the ads in the Jimmy Choo store at the Copley Place Mall in Back Bay (Greater Boston). We thank both Greg and Jane Doe Inc. Director of Communications Toni K. Troop for their efforts.
Joint Fathers and Families/Jane Doe Inc. Letter to Jimmy Choo Ltd
October 24, 2011
Joshua Schulman, Chief Executive Officer
Tamara Mellon OBE, Chief Creative Officer
750 Lexington Ave., 22nd Floor
New York, NY 10022
NY Office: (212) 319 1111
UK Office: (44) 2073685000
Dear Mr. Schulman and Ms. Mellon:
We are writing to express our concern about a Jimmy Choo Ltd advertisement that can be found on your company”s website at http://chooconnection.jimmychoo.com/ and also on display ads in your stores, including the store in the Copley Place Mall in Boston. The advertisement in question can be seen at http://www.fathersandfamilies.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/jimmy-choo-photo.png.
As you know, domestic violence is a problem which cuts across all ethnic, geographic, gender, sexual orientation, and social class lines, and remains a significant problem in the United States. In President Obama”s October 3 National Domestic Violence Awareness Month proclamation, the president noted the prevalence of domestic violence and warned:
The ramifications of domestic violence are staggering…Exposure to domestic violence puts our young men and women in danger of long-term physical, psychological, and emotional harm. Children who experience domestic violence are at a higher risk for failure in school, emotional disorders, and substance abuse, and are more likely to perpetuate the cycle of violence themselves later in life.
Unwittingly, your ad both trivializes domestic violence and makes it appear that partner abuse is acceptable. The man in the photo appears to be in fear and possibly in pain or even dead, and the woman pictured seems to be about to put her full weight on the man”s skull. We respectfully request that you remove this offensive ad from your websites and all store fronts as soon as possible.
Fathers and Families is a national 501(c)(3) organization which seeks to improve the lives of our children through family court reform. Jane Doe Inc., The Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence and its sixty members work within a social justice framework to end domestic violence and sexual assault.
With best regards,
Glenn Sacks, MA
Executive Director,
Fathers and FamiliesToni K. Troop Director of Communications
Jane Doe Inc., The Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence