Calvin Klein — Brooke Shields "Nothing Between Me and My Calvins" (1980)

Fifteen-year-old Brooke Shields' sultry whisper of "Nothing comes between me and my Calvins" revolutionized fashion advertising in 1980, but at a steep ethical cost. The ads were banned from television, yet they generated $150 million in sales for Calvin Klein that year—a 300% increase from the previous year. While this campaign outpaces #3 Benetton's 'Unhate' in cultural impact, it established a troubling template for exploiting youth and sexuality that persists today. The tagline's suggestive double meaning, combined with Shields' age, sparked debates that continue to influence advertising regulation, with at least 45% of fashion ads since then referencing youth in similarly provocative contexts, according to Ad Age.