Lingerie ads: Selling confidence or stirring controversy?
Alongside topics like menstruation or sex, lingerie is often viewed as something overly sexualised—intended to titillate rather than to communicate empowerment or confidence. Storyboard18 connected with industry and brand heads, who spoke about how they are navigating these perceptions and what their approach to brand communication really is.
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“One constant kind of complaint we get at ASCI is for advertisements of innerwear, particularly when they feature women — ‘I found this ad to be obscene as it features a man roaming in a hotel without putting on any clothes except underwear. It also features a woman in a two‑piece bikini. I found it inappropriate for a family audience’,” stated Manisha Kapoor, chief executive officer and secretary‑general, The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).
Let’s picture this. How many times in our life have we left the room feeling uncomfortable or abashed whenever women or men clad in their bras or undergarments stood tall on the screen? How many times have we clinched the edge of our seats or the ends of our clothes when such ads flashed on the screen in a family setting?
Or, how non‑judgmental have we been when we saw our favourite celebrities in their two‑pieces—gracing the big screen, appearing in print ads, or vacationing in exotic locales?
The thought processes vary depending on the roles people play in their lives. But it all boils down to this: discomfort still exists. Alongside subjects like menstruation or sex, lingerie continues to be viewed as something overly sexualized—something meant to titillate rather than something that can communicate empowerment and confidence.
This brings us to ASCI’s Kapoor, who highlights that the lingerie industry is not heavily restricted in advertising — as long as images are not presented in an “egregious manner.” She adds that, so far, the ads have remained within acceptable norms.
According to TechSci Research, the Indian lingerie market, valued at USD 5.06 billion in 2024, is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 11.2 percent through 2030.
Sandra Daniels, senior vice president, Modenik Lifestyle (chief marketing officer and category head, Enamor), explained that when Enamor was launched in 2004, the concept of fashion lingerie was almost non‑existent in India.
At that time, women primarily relied on cotton bras. Enamor was among the first brands to introduce lace and satin bras. Daniels notes that in those early days, much communication was fixated on the male gaze. The brand, she says, sought to eliminate that gaze and focused instead on women—in order to fuel empowerment and confidence.
Slimz, another innerwear brand, came into existence in 2016 under the Dixcy brand and was later merged into Modenik Lifestyle in December 2021. Although Slimz initially offered undergarments and camisoles, recently launched bras to offer a complete women’s innerwear portfolio.
As Aadit Pattnaik, category and brand lead at Slimz, explains, the women’s lingerie category is shaped like a triangle: premium at the top, mainstream in the middle, and unbranded/local at the base. Slimz aims to operate in the mainstream space—trying to bridge the gap in quality between unbranded and premium offerings.
What are the challenges?
One major challenge Daniels faced was that most television channels would not give prime‑time slots to lingerie brands. The only available slots were non‑prime time. She recalls, “Lingerie was a category that needed approvals at every end. One couldn't just choose the time slot in order to air commercials.”
Outdoor hoardings presented their own hurdles. When Enamor put up billboards, complaints often followed, and the brand sometimes had to pull them down. Another barrier was securing a top‑tier celebrity endorsement, “It would be difficult to get the likes of Kareena Kapoor Khan, Deepika Padukone or Alia Bhatt even if the brand was fashionable and spoke about women empowerment. And this still continues to be a struggle.”
By contrast, Daniels notes, swimwear campaigns often attract celebrities more easily.
In hoardings especially, Daniels says a bra might be acceptable, but displaying a panty is more contentious, requiring it to be covered with a skirt or shrug—a sign of lingering sensitivity.
“Today, I am still able to do hoarding campaigns across the country, especially in 15 cities, tier one, and metro. Now, we don’t get asked to pull down our creatives so often. There might be a time when … outside a mosque, temple, or gurudwara … we are asked to pull it down,” she adds.
Over time, Enamor has refined how to shoot outdoors in a way that respects local sensitivities. As of now, Enamor’s ad spends are mostly allocated to digital media, though at times the brand has invested 10–15 percent in outdoor advertising. Pattnaik notes that since the category is still evolving, their focus remains on digital.
Any complaints?
Thus far, Enamor has not received complaints to ASCI. However, Daniels recalls times when hoardings triggered direct letters to the company—especially in cities like Lucknow or Kanpur—leading to take‑downs. Kapoor shares that in FY 2024–25, ASCI received eight complaints from users who objected to lingerie ads, citing indecency and embarrassment at seeing them in a family setting. One lingerie ad was also processed for a leadership claim.
“Additionally, the lack of disclosure by influencers in branded content has also triggered some complaints,” Kapoor adds.
These issues have surfaced across digital, television and print platforms. Yet the Consumer Complaints Council (CCC), in evaluating women’s lingerie ads, has often ruled that the portrayal of female models was not so vulgar as to cause grave or widespread offence.
“There are no restrictions around the advertising of this category, and in most cases such ads have therefore not been considered a violation of Chapter II of the ASCI Code concerning indecency,” Kapoor explains.
In the context of lingerie, Kapoor clarifies, showing products and their use is typically acceptable — the key is ensuring that images are not explicit and align with evolving public decency norms. Currently, ASCI does not have a guideline tailored specifically for lingerie advertising. Pattnaik observes that consumer behaviour is dynamic, “We must remain closely connected with what the consumer wants, what the consumer desires … how their lifestyle is changing. Then draw gaps and address them.”
Kapoor believes consumers have evolved over time—through technology, shifting social norms—and that this is an ongoing journey. Daniels concurs, recalling old objections, “Years ago, consumers said, ‘We don’t like to watch lingerie ads on television because we're with family … we feel embarrassed … we just change the channel.’ But when we changed our advertising strategy—made it more celebratory of women, took her out on the street, gave her jackets, pants, skirts—women responded: ‘We love this kind of advertising. It doesn’t make us feel conscious.’”
Pattnaik envisions that brand communication should aim not to hurt sentiments, “‘How do we go about it? What media mix do we take?’ We can always draw upon the learnings of the evolved premium category,” he concludes.
