Greenfield Calls On MTA To Pull Sexy Lane Bryant Ads From F Train [Updated]

Do sexy ads belong on subways? Councilman David Greenfield says no.

The councilman is calling on the MTA to remove Lane Bryant’s new lingerie ads from the F train that moves through the Orthodox Jewish communities of Borough Park and Midwood.

The clothing company’s provocative #ImNoAngel campaign aims to challenge Victoria Secret standards of beauty by featuring “normal-sized” women in lingerie on subways, billboards, on television, and in print. The floor-to-ceiling posters wrap inside and outside of F train cars.

Greenfield says he has received numerous complaints from families with small children who have been shocked to see these ads displayed in their communities.

“Our local neighborhoods are not Times Square. These are where families live and children walk the streets. It’s not just subway riders who see these ads that literally wrap an entire train. People see these ads from their streets, their cars, and even their own windows facing the elevated line. We’re asking that the MTA be sensitive to the concerns of families by removing them from the subway or, at the very least, moving the ads to other lines,” said Greenfield.

The MTA sometimes turns down ads that they deem inappropriate, most recently declining to advertise an overly-suggestive ad for DUMBO Moving and Storage.

Lane Bryant, which provide high-quality fashion for women sizes 14-28, says it launched the campaign to inspire confidence in women of all body types.

“Our ‘#ImNoAngel’ campaign is designed to empower ALL women to love every part of herself. Lane Bryant firmly believes that she is sexy and we want to encourage her to confidently show it, in her own way,” said Lane Bryant CEO and President Linda Heasley in a statement.

Update April 15 [10am]: The MTA has responded with this statement:

These advertisements are part of a campaign running in outdoor formats across the country. The ads meet the standards for commercial advertising commonly used by transit agencies in many states. They are scheduled to run on the F train for another three weeks.