What else would you expect from the singer of S&M and Diamonds? Rihanna’s increasingly sexualized image reached a fever pitch in her ads for Emporio Armani Underwear and Armani Jeans that were released in September 2011. The chanteuse, 24, was shown posing in and around cars in lacy lingerie and skintight jeans for Armani’s fall/winter 2011-12 campaign. The shots turned out so nice that Armani used her twice–her latest ads, for spring/summer 2012, were shot in Dublin, Ireland, by fashion photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott and released in March.
Rihanna’s sex appeal suited Armani’s underwear campaign just fine, but other companies weren’t so thrilled. Skin care company Nivea dropped her as a spokesperson in August 2012. Stefan Heidenreich, CEO of Nivea’s parent company stated at the time, “Rihanna is a no go…I do not understand how to bring the core brand of Nivea in conjunction with Rihanna.”