To hear “Dakota Fanning,” “banned” and “Europe” in the same sentence doesn’t really compute. But when you consider it’s the notoriously strict advertising watchdog group in Britain and Dakota’s featured in a Lola-themed ad, it starts to make more sense. The ad features the 17-year-old star with an oversized perfume bottle between her legs. The Advertising Standards Authority said the star appeared to look under 16 in the ad, and stated that the composition of the shot drew attention to her sexuality.
“Because of that, along with her appearance, we considered the ad could be seen to sexualize a child,†it said.
Interestingly, the perfume company, Coty UK, said it so far hasn’t received any complaints. The ad was promoted in magazines targeted at readers over 25 years old, and that the image wasn’t indecent or offensive.