It seems that Calvin Klein crossed the line again with its bold advertisements. A daring CK perfume ad featuring actress Eva Mendes has been banned by several TV networks in the United States for its racy content.

In the 30-second TV spot for “Secret Obsession”, a nude Eva Mendes gently touches herself, rolls around in an unkempt bed and, what’s more, flashes one of her nipples. She then murmurs in a gravelly voice: “Between love and madness lies obsession. Love ... madness it’s my secret.”

However, the ban does not come as a total blow, as Tom Murry, president and chief operating officer of Calvin Klein, Inc., informed the New York Daily News in a statement that it “is not entirely a surprise for the U.S. market.” Furthermore, Murry said that the ad was outstanding and that it was expected to have a booming success worldwide. “We believe the commercial is exceptional and hits the mark for Secret Obsession. ...We are anticipating a very successful global launch,” he said, according to the same source.

In addition to this, Catherine Walsh, vice president of American Fragrances, Coty Prestige, which produces the perfume, said that regardless of the ban, the ad was in the spotlight and it created an emotional response in relation to its public. The attention the commercial benefits from “just reinforces our belief in the campaign, which has really struck a chord with consumers and in true Calvin Klein fashion, sparks controversy,” Walsh said, quoted by the Daily News.

An edited version of the racy TV spot will run stateside on cable TV, while the original ad will run abroad.

Calvin Klein is famous for going too far with its advertisements. Several ads for the brand featuring young models in controversial poses triggered a 1995 inquiry conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, assessing whether the ads could have been regarded as child pornography.