Oh, you precocious advertising companies -- always trying to push the limit with your racy print ads and TV spots. The latest blow-up over some scandalous marketing gone awry surrounds a fake ad for JC Penney. A production company called Epoch Films created a fictitious TV commercial (above), which features two teenagers putting their clothes on as fast as they can. You find out later that they've been practicing getting dressed quickly so as not to get caught having sex in the house. Saucy!

A) We wish we'd thought of this as teenagers, and B) after this ad won a host of awards in Cannes last week it rose to prominence on YouTube -- meaning millions of people have now witnessed the spot, many of whom will assume it was sanctioned by JC Penney. Not surprisingly, the company is pissed. They've threatened to drop their advertising company, Saatchi & Saatchi (who was indirectly responsible for it being produced), and are telling anyone who will listen that they think the content is "obviously inappropriate and nothing we would ever condone."

On the other hand, the retailer stands to benefit from a considerable amount of free advertising -- and its boring, all-too-wholesome image might just get a kick in the pants. Maybe it's not so bad after all?