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About the Rolling StonesBlack and Blue advertisement, 1976
The Stones didn’t end up touring the U.S. in the immediate wake of the April 1976 release of the Black and Blue album. Still the band still managed to cause a firestorm of controversy in the States, thanks to the album’s ad campaign and a Sunset Boulevard billboard promoting the record. The ad—which can be found in the July 1, 1976, issue of Rolling Stone magazine—featured model Anita Russell sitting atop an unfolded copy of the Black and Blue LP. She’s bound with rope and wearing dark makeup, to make it look like she was bruised by a beating. The giant billboard was even more controversial, as it contained the same image of Russell and the LP, but added the text, “I’m ‘Black and Blue’ from the Rolling Stones – and I love it!” in giant script.
Backlash and Feminist Outrage Over Stones’ Controversial Ad
Reaction to both the ad and billboard was fierce. In the August 1976 issue of a newsletter published by the Houston-based feminist group Breakthrough, Julie London, the Los Angeles coordinator of a then-new organization of feminist-identifying individuals and groups called Women Against Violence Against Women (WAVAW), wrote, “This campaign exploits and sensationalizes violence against a woman for the purpose of increased record sales. The ad contributes to the myth that women like to be beaten and condones a permissive attitude towards the brutalization of women.”
More about the Rolling Stones’ Black and Blue ad controversy
The Breakthrough newsletter reported that the controversial Rolling Stones billboard sparked a coordinated wave of protests led by WAVAW (Women Against Violence Against Women). The campaign included issuing strong press releases demanding the billboard’s immediate removal and direct action by women visiting the offices of Atlantic Records and Ryan Outdoor Advertising. In a dramatic turn, the September/October 1976 issue of Mother Jones revealed that five activists, armed with buckets of fire-engine-red paint, defaced the billboard one night. They scrawled “This is a crime against women” near the text, painted over Mick Jagger’s face, and added the women’s movement symbol alongside the Stones’ iconic tongue logo.
Faced with mounting pressure, Atlantic Records quickly removed the billboard, and David Geffen, then vice-chairperson of Warner Bros., announced the suspension of the ad campaign. Rolling Stone magazine’s July 29, 1976, issue included a photo of the defaced billboard by Robert Landau, but its coverage was criticized for failing to acknowledge its own role in previously running the ad. The magazine quoted Bob Greenberg, Atlantic Records’ West Coast general manager, who claimed, “It was not the intention of Atlantic, Mick, or the Rolling Stones to offend anyone.”
From Protest to Progress: WAVAW’s Boycott Shakes the Music Industry
The protests set off a ripple effect of regional and national activism. WAVAW’s efforts inspired new organizations, such as the Boston chapter of WAVAW in 1977 and the Houston Organization Against Sexism in the Media. By December 1976, the California chapter of NOW and WAVAW launched a boycott of Warner, Elektra, and Atlantic Records. The boycott demanded the cessation of advertising featuring violence or sexual violence against women.
The boycott, lasting nearly three years, ended in a significant victory for WAVAW. Warner Communications agreed to halt such depictions in their advertising and enlisted WAVAW to conduct an all-day sensitivity training program for Warner’s advertising executives on the topic of violence against women. This marked a milestone in consumer activism and the fight for gender equality in media representation.
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