Controversy is swirling over a new ad campaign starring Jessica Alba topless, gagged, and taped up in a sort of bondage/domination style. It’s all part of a new initiative by the non-profit Declare Yourself to get people to register to vote. The ad reads, “Only You Can Silence Yourself.”

“If you don’t register and vote and make a difference, and hopefully change the bad things that are happening in our country, you are essentially just binding and muzzling yourself,” Jessica, 27, says of the campaign. “We sign up for MySpace pages and Facebook pages, and download music off the internet. The least people can do is register to vote online, actually making a difference in their world, not just making their lives a little bit cooler. I think it is important for young people to be aware of the need we have in this country to get them more active politically.”

Photographer Marc Liddel shot the campaign, and despite the racy nature of the pictures Alba says she was not embarrassed. “It didn’t freak me out at all,” she said. “What I like about Marc’s work is that he tells a story and brings real emotion to his pictures.”

::Ecorazzi