A giant 60-foot-long inflatable body double of Kim Kardashian made a surprise appearance in Times Square this week, drawing crowds with its bold display.
The enormous balloon, featuring a barely-there blue bikini and a 15-foot-high replica of the reality star’s backside, quickly became a viral spectacle, with curious onlookers snapping photos and videos.
The eye-catching installation appears to be a marketing stunt for Kardashian’s latest SKIMS clothing line. The inflatable’s skimpy blue swimsuit closely resembles one the 44-year-old socialite recently wore in a Bahamas photoshoot.
On Wednesday, a steady stream of passersby gathered around the display, many of whom immediately reached for their phones to capture the moment.
Families, tourists, and commuters alike stopped to take pictures, including one father who took snapshots of his young daughter posing in front of the balloon before swapping places so she could take photos of him.
Among those perplexed by the display was Tina Mitsogolu of Hell’s Kitchen, who was commuting home when she came across the enormous Kardashian figure.
“It’s silly! I don’t even know what we’re selling now,” she told reporters. Though she is a fan of the Kardashian family, she admitted she is not a SKIMS customer and found the advertisement somewhat vague.
The choice of Times Square as the location for the display has also raised eyebrows. With an estimated 300,000 pedestrians passing through daily, the marketing tactic has sparked debate on its appropriateness in such a high-traffic area.
“For the center of Times Square, I don’t think it belongs here. But there are worse things in Times Square, too,” said Mitsogolu, referencing the area’s infamous Naked Cowboy performer.
Reactions among locals and visitors were mixed. Amanda Hernandez, 34, of New Jersey, saw no issue with the advertisement, arguing that a woman in a bikini is far from inappropriate. “I don’t know, a woman in a bikini is not something X-rated or anything like that,” she said. She added that she would not have avoided the display even if she had been with her 9-year-old daughter.
The bikini featured on the balloon is a replica of an $88 SKIMS set advertised to “make a sexy statement” and “bring the heat.” Some onlookers believed the ad was meant to be empowering, while others saw it as a provocative marketing ploy.
“It’s supposed to be empowering women, so I want to take it that way,” said Alison Cohen, 31, of Chelsea. “But I can see a man being like, ‘Where are the strippers?’”
Cohen also noted that the display was “innovative” in its ability to spark conversation. “It’s absurd. This is another level. But to me, that’s part of the nature of Times Square. You see things that are right on the edge of being acceptable or not,” she said.
Not everyone agreed. Leslie, a mother of three from Nashville, was disappointed to see the revealing balloon while walking through Times Square with her family. “I don’t like it,” she said, before asking her children if they thought it was inappropriate. All three shook their heads “no.”
For some, the towering Kardashian figure was amusing yet jarring. Andrew Petrecca, 24, visiting from Montreal with his family, posed for a photo in front of the balloon.
“If I show that picture to my friends, I’d be like, ‘Look how funny this is,’ because it’s so out of place in the middle of Times Square,” he said. “It just talks a lot about the state of marketing, which is a lot of shock value.”
His mother, Tina, had a different perspective. “I don’t think it’s appropriate, but I think for Times Square, anything’s possible. It’s shocking, not surprising.”
The balloon’s presence has undoubtedly sparked debate, but whether seen as a clever marketing strategy or an inappropriate display, one thing is sure—Kim Kardashian’s massive inflatable stunt has made a lasting impression in Times Square.
