Zara Ads Are Banned Due to “Unhealthily Thin” Models as the ASA Issues a Warning to the Fashion Industry About Careless Photography
A UK authority has prohibited Zara advertisements using “gaunt” and “protruding” models in light of the fashion industry’s increased scrutiny of body image.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) of the United Kingdom has banned two ads from the fashion shop Zara because they feature models who are considered to be “unhealthily thin.” The advertisements on Zara’s website and app were deemed “irresponsible” by the regulator, who also decided that they shouldn’t be used again in their existing format.
According to the ASA, one picture of a model promoting a short dress featured shadows that made her legs appear “noticeably thin,” and her slicked-back haircut made her appear “gaunt.” Her elbows and arms were positioned in a way that made her look “out of proportion,” according to the regulator.
It was discovered that a second prohibited image, which was used to advertise a low-cut blouse, made the model’s “protruding collarbones” the “focal feature” of the advertisement.
Only two of the four photographs under evaluation were officially banned by Zara, even though they were all removed. Advertising regulations were not broken by the other two advertisements. Zara maintained that the photos had only been slightly altered in terms of lighting and color and said it had not received any direct complaints regarding the content.
The shop emphasized in its answer to the ASA that both of the models in the prohibited advertisements had obtained medical certifications attesting to their excellent health at the time of the photo session. Zara claimed to have complied with the third recommendation of the UK Model Health Inquiry’s 2007 report, Fashioning a Healthy Future, which said that models should present medical certification from physicians qualified to identify eating disorders.
However, the ASA came to the conclusion that the advertisements’ presentation and design decisions contributed to an undesirable thinness image, potentially harming consumers. Zara was reminded of its duty to make sure that all next advertisements are “prepared with a sense of responsibility.”
This is not the first time this year that fashion advertisements have been approved in the UK. A model whose posture and attire, which included “large pointed shoes,” made her legs appear unduly slender led to the removal of a Marks & Spencer advertisement in July. The picture was deemed “irresponsible” by the ASA.
Additionally, an advertisement for a model wearing blue slim jeans was dropped for Next earlier in 2024. The ASA decided that her legs’ thinness was purposefully emphasized by the camera angles and design.
subsequently objected to the ruling, claiming that the model had a “healthy and toned physique” despite being thin.
The controversy has raised broader concerns among the public, such as whether advertisements using women who appear unhealthy and overweight should be scrutinized similarly. That element has not yet been discussed in public by the ASA.
The ASA’s most recent decisions support a rising regulatory push to ensure appropriate representations of body image in advertising, as pressure increases on fashion brands to depict more realistic and diverse body types.
