One of the most crucial aspects of the modern business world is presentation. No matter what the product being supplied is, if it’s being showcased to the world in the wrong way, you’re going to have very few customers – but occasionally, things can go awry for even the most shrewd professionals.

And in the dance music world, there are few companies who pride themselves more on their professionalism than Defected – it became their signature under founder Simon Dunmore and has continued with Wez Saunders in charge. Nonetheless, after everyone at what is possibly house music’s biggest record label have finished digesting their Christmas dinners and got back to work, they might want to take another look on their website.

Their store sells many, many things – and one of those items in the itinerary are ear plugs. Nothing unusual in that, as they’re a dance music website, right? True – but the way they’ve been photographed for their online display leaves a bit to be desired…

Now, we can’t use the exact words that our Ears To The House staffer in question said, but the gist of his comments were that they looked like something rather rude. And whilst some of us see his, ahem, point, there were others in the office who just assume he’d had one too many festive drinks.

Then again, perhaps it was intentional. Such an advertising strategy has been purposely used elsewhere before…