Belvedere, are they really selling vodka?

Vodka or sex, what are they really selling? In this particular print ad by Belvedere we see a woman reapplying bright red lipstick next to a man from the waist down. He is wearing jeans and a belt with a large belt buckle that shines silver and she appears to have been using it to reapply her lipstick before she was surprised by the person who took the picture. She also appears, quite conveniently, to be nude. Only on the right side of the two page spread do we see a white vertical strip that contains a picture of a bottle of Belvedere vodka. Below the bottle of vodka is the slogan “luxury reborn.” This ad, upon first glance, appears odd and says little about vodka. As I analyze this ad even further the woman appears to be surprised and embarrassed. It makes me think that perhaps she was doing something inappropriate prior to being walked in on. Now a person might ask, “How is this offensive?” It is not offensive unless, of course, you try to guess why you are only seeing the man’s lower half and why she appears so surprised. This has clear sexual implications and puts the woman in a degrading position. This would be highly offensive to female consumers and I think it should not be allowed in print. After all it is offensive and nowhere in the actual image does it say anything relating to vodka and I certainly don’t know what a woman in a sexually compromising position has to do with Belvedere vodka or “luxury reborn.” Perhaps if the woman was pictured next to a glass of vodka with lipstick smudges this ad would have made sense but as it is it not only does not advertise vodka; it offends females and female consumers and therefore reduces vodka sales.