Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
We all know female models are subject to all sorts of Photoshop abuse, but what about the menfolk? The Grumbler points to a new Armani Exchange ad in the Meatpacking District starring a handsome fellow who looks like he's got some kind of indestructible exoskeleton where his stomach is supposed to be. "Did the male model swallow a cupcake pan?" the blog asks.
Actually, there might be another explanation. Today's WWD reports that Armani Exchange is rolling out a 3D ad campaign for fall. The photos will appear in GQ, Interview, and V alongside pop-out 3D glasses which you'll also be able to use on store windows and video screens around the country. Armani is also planning to install a giant 3D billboard above the LIE. And while the campaign doesn't roll out until September, the MePa ad looks a lot like the sample photo. So maybe the model's neither a mutant nor the victim of rampant ab Photoshoppery; maybe it'll all make sense through 3D glasses.
· Meatpacking Abs [The Grumbler]
· A|X Armani Launches 3-D Ad Campaign [WWD, subscription req'd]
· Armani Exchange's 3D Ads, Videos, Windows, and LIE Billboard [Racked National]