In late 2011, a lingerie advertising campaign starring model Gisele Bündchen became an event after the government criticized it for contributing to maintain the inequalities between men and women. The advertisements promoted sensuality as a strategy for women to solve problems in their private lives. This article analyzes the structure of this event based on stories published in the mass media, aiming not to evaluate the aforementioned advertising campaign but to determine how feminine sensuality was perceived by the public. The analysis reveals that the government's criticism undermines the debate about issues regarding the legitimacy of women's participation in public life. Despite the constant cultural exaltation of feminine sensuality in Brazil, this case did not mobilize the theme to any appreciable degree.
public woman; sensuality; event