Lane Bryant’s ‘banned’ television ad is raking in viewers online

Sports Illustrated cover model Ashley Graham stars in it, saying that her body was “made for being bold, powerful, and sexy.” Another model is shown breast feeding.

NBC said that the ad wasn’t rejected but that it needs to be re-edited to “comply with broadcast indecency guidelines.” ABC hasn’t yet released a statement.

Regardless, the so-called “banned” ad is getting lots of promotion on Facebook. Lane Bryant posted the ad to its page yesterday and has already generated 800,000 views and 20,000 shares in less than 24 hours.

Many of the 600 comments are supportive of Lane Bryant, with one woman writing: “Shame on you Lane Bryant that you should show beauty in all its shapes, sizes, and the “normal” things women do with their bodies (she says sarcastically).”

For Lane Bryant, the controversy is part of its marketing that’s centered on plus-sized models, sometimes in lingerie. “The plus-size woman is not a dowdy, insecure person,” Lane Bryant’s CMO Brian Beitler recently told Digiday. “She’s loud and proud. These women feel beautiful. They’re confident, and they want their fashion to convey that.”