Britain’s advertising regulator has banned ads for the Zara brand, citing “socially irresponsible” images of models that it said looked “unhealthily thin”. About this informs BBC.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received a complaint about two Zara advertisements. One shows a model in a shirt with large pockets, and the other shows a model in a short dress. The appeal stated that the models in the ad look excessively thin, which makes the ad irresponsible.
Zara denied the accusations, stressing that both models had medical certificates of satisfactory health and that the photographs had not been altered, apart from light adjustments to lighting and colour. The ASA, however, concluded that in the first ad, the plunging neckline of the shirt drew attention to the model’s “protruding” collarbones. In addition, the position of her arms in loose clothing gave the impression of excessive thinness in the arms, shoulders and chest.
“Overall, we believe that the model’s pose and choice of clothing in the ad created the impression that the model was unhealthily thin.” – says the ASA conclusions.
The second photo received a similar rating. The regulator noted that the slicked-back hair and shadows in the image emphasized the model’s thinness. The ASA also reviewed two other Zara ads, but found them not to be in breach. In response to the criticism, the company removed the controversial photos and explained that it had not received any direct complaints about the images.
A spokesperson for Zara UK said the company is committed to creating “responsible content” and adheres to strict standards in the process of selecting models, organizing photo shoots and selecting images for advertising.
