H&M pulls ad after complaints over sexualisation of school girls

"We are deeply sorry for the offence this has caused and we are looking into how we present campaigns going forward," said a spokesperson.

By: Reuters

London | January 22, 2024 10:22 PM IST

1 min read

The fashion retailer's shares hit a two-month low, down 1.4% by 1540 GMT, underperforming peers.(Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Fashion retailer H&M has withdrawn an ad featuring school girls after complaints that the campaign encouraged the sexualisation of under-age girls.

The advert, launched in Australia, featured the slogan: “Make those heads turn in H&M’s Back to School fashion” above a photo of two girls wearing gray H&M pinafore dresses.

“We have removed this ad,” an H&M spokesperson said on Monday. “We are deeply sorry for the offence this has caused and we are looking into how we present campaigns going forward.”

The fashion retailer’s shares hit a two-month low, down 1.4% by 1540 GMT, underperforming peers.

H&M’s rowback is the latest in a string of missteps by fashion brands leading to adverts backfiring. In December, Zara pulled a campaign featuring statues wrapped in white, after calls for a boycott and protests over a perceived resemblance to images from the war in Gaza.

From the homepage

Supreme Court hints at allowing green crackers in Delhi-NCR this Diwali on trial basis

Bihar’s economy needs jobs and investments, but can it afford pre-poll sops?

Gaza ceasefire goes into effect, what happens next?

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags: