Marketing Week Columnist Defends Jude Bellingham's Calvin Klein Ad as Non-Exploitative

A Marketing Week column argues that Calvin Klein's campaign featuring footballer Jude Bellingham differs from the Sydney Sweeney ad for Novig, which critics compared to it with the genders reversed. The author contends the distinction lies in the role the body plays in the creative: in Bellingham's case, the body is the central concept itself.

Why it matters: The piece offers a concrete framework for judging whether celebrity body-focused advertising is exploitative, a debate that directly affects creative and brand-safety decisions for marketers.