Model Eva Herzigova says her iconic Hello Boys Wonderbra ad didn't 'degrade women' but left them 'empowered' instead | Daily Mail Online
Model Eva Herzigova says her iconic Hello Boys Wonderbra ad didn't 'degrade women' but left them 'empowered' instead
Eva, 41, was star of Wonderbra's Hello Boys advert in 1994
Says it didn't degrade women, despite what critics say
At the time, it came under fire for causing road accidents
Her career is still going strong and she is now a mother-of-three 
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Wonderbra's 'Hello Boys' advert was the 1994 billboard that - quite literally - stopped traffic. It also aroused the ire of feminists, many of whom described it as degrading.
Now the model who starred in the ad has opened up about the criticism she received at the time and said, far from being degrading, it was actually empowering. 
'My Wonderbra campaign empowered women,' said Czech-born Eva, 43. 'It didn’t degrade them like some said or say. 
Empowered: Supermodel Eva Herzigova, the star of Wonderbra's Hello Boys campaign, maintains that it helped empower women and improve advertising for good, despite the backlash of criticism it received 
Speaking to the Evening Standard , she continued: 'It was controversial at the time, sure - but it made waves and you can see its influence still today.
'It was one of the most successful advertising campaigns in history and I am so proud to be a part of it.' 
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The advert, which was shot by Ellen von Unwerth and saw Eva posing in a black Wonderbra and pants, certainly proved controversial.
Much of the controversy centred on traffic accidents, with some commuters blaming the huge roadside poster for their lack of concentration.
Others claimed the racy ad was derogatory towards women, even as they flocked to buy the bra in their millions.
Despite the controversy, the makers of the ad were honoured in 2011, when the billboard was declared the most eye-catching ad of the previous 20 years. 
Still going strong: The ad sparked a sensation when it was unveiled and was blamed for stopping traffic and causing accidents. Eva, now 41, thinks it changed advertising for the better
As for Eva, now a mother-of-three, her career is still going strong. In a recent interview with Net-a-Porter's The Edit, the supermodel discussed the longevity of her career, which has spanned more than 24 years.
‘I’ve always worked hard and picked the right work,' she said. ‘In this society, where people sell their souls on Facebook and Twitter, I don’t go out there selling myself - I am very private.’
She reflected on her career's turning point, which saw her feature in a Mario Testino and Carine Roitfeld editorial for The Face. 
'For me, that shoot was a slap in the face to those who put me in the pin-up box,' she said. 'That was my jump from commercial to editorial. I could hear people gasp as they realised it was me.’
Despite her success, the fashion world almost lost her to Hollywood. 'After doing a few films, I went to LA looking for an agent – and it was just pathetic.
'I met people who said, "Yes, we can talk about the movie over dinner." I was like, "What dinner? I can just read the script here."
Having been exposed to the sleazier side of Hollywood, Herzigova gave up her acting dream and returned to modelling full time - and became a mother.
'I never saw myself as a mum,' she admits. 'There are girls who grow up thinking of marriage and babies, but I never wanted that. But now it is everything to me.
‘When I had the first [baby], I wondered why I waited so long, but it was timing – I never had the right man before.’ 
Longevity: Eva says she has always worked hard and picked the right work but doesn't like to 'go out selling herself' and prefers to remain private