Down and out: Pornhub forced to take down controversial billboard in Times Square

Pornhub has been forced to remove a giant billboard it had erected in New York’s Times Square, with it mysteriously disappearing from the area just hours after it was put up.

In May, Pornhub launched a headline-grabbing design competition, with entrants submitting a variety of images and slogans for their forthcoming adverts, including one depicting a woman questioning a man: “What are you watching?” with the response “Nothing,” prompting the tagline: “The world’s biggest archive of nothing.”

In total, more than 3,000 submissions were offered up by willing entrants.

The sign reading, “All you need is hand” with a picture of a person’s pair of hands coming together to form a heart shape, was designed by Nuri Galver, an Istanbul-based copywriter.

The 54 feet of safe-for-work advertising was put up on Wednesday. To celebrate the occasion, Gotham Rock Choir performed an acapella Pornhub-related adaptation of the Beatles’ hit “All You Need is Love.”

Later in the day, Pornhub Katie tweeted:

No more Pornhub Billboard in Times Square :( pic.twitter.com/hBH3fZvkz5

— Pornhub Katie (@Pornhub) October 8, 2014

It later emerged that the sign was removed because of complaints from the Hilton DoubleTree hotel, upon which the advert was mounted.

“Our initial agreement with City Outdoor, the company that owns the billboard space, was that we had full approval for the ad to be placed in the initial location,” a spokesman told Buzzfeed.

“We are now currently in the process of evaluating various high traffic alternative locations in New York City and in other major metropolitan areas.”

A PR representative for Pornhub, Mike Williams, expressed some surprise to the Daily Dot about the removal.

“It's unclear as to why the GM decided to voice her opinion that late in the game, so to speak – might have been the media attention, or she just had her own opinion of adult entertainment advertising that didn’t sit well,” Williams said.