- The Swedish retailer has since apologized and removed the advertisement from its website
Clothing giant H&M has been forced to take out an advert for school uniforms with the slogan ‘makes those heads turn’, amid backlash including claims it ‘sexualises’ children.
The brand was criticized for its ‘Back to School fashion’ ad, which featured two young girls wearing sundresses.
Furious activists – including high-profile feminist Melinda Tankard Reist – have criticized the retailer.
‘@hm @hmaustralia what is your intention with this sponsored Facebook ad?’ she smoked.
‘Little schoolgirls generally don’t want to ‘attract attention’. The large numbers of people I interact with in schools want to be left alone to learn and have fun.’
Psychologist Dr. Pam Spurr expressed her anger in a post on Boycott H&M. A shameful exploitation of girls.’
Another user said: ‘What the hell is this. H&M sexualizes children’. Meanwhile, another called it an ‘inappropriate ad’ and said H&M should ‘think again very quickly’.
The brand was criticized for its ‘Back to School fashion’ ad, which featured two young girls wearing sundresses
H&M was forced to apologize for ‘the offense this caused’ and remove the ad
Angry shoppers threatened to boycott the brand after it posted a ‘sexualised’ school uniform advert
One What does H&M think?’
Another welcomed the brand’s apology, but said the brand “has not yet addressed how someone within the company showed such appalling judgment in commissioning and signing off.”
The brand responded on social media: ‘This advertisement has now been removed. We are deeply sorry for the offense this has caused and we will look into how we present campaigns in the future.” H&M has also been approached for comment.
It comes after an advert for Rimmel London featuring Love Island star Lana Jenkins was banned in December.
The Facebook ad, seen on September 9, read: “Get ready to slay this back-to-school season. Receive 25% off Multi-Tasker Concealer and other Rimmel favorites…’
The post included a video of 25-year-old influencer Jenkins applying makeup, with the caption below: “25% off Rimmel back to school.”
Two people complained that the ad was irresponsible because it included the text “Get ready to cover this back-to-school season.”
They said it played on the insecurities of young girls by suggesting they would only be ready for a new school year if they wore make-up.
The Facebook ad, seen on September 9, read: “Get ready to slay this back-to-school season. Receive 25% off Multi-Tasker Concealer and other Rimmel favorites…’
Coty UK, trading as Rimmel London, said the ad was part of its ‘Back to School’ campaign but “in no way” communicated the need to wear make-up, and was instead aimed at women aged 18 to 35 who were interested in cosmetics. beauty, fashion and makeup.
It said the wording, “Get ready to slay this back-to-school season,” was meant to motivate and build confidence, rather than prey on young girls’ insecurities.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the words ‘back-to-school season’, combined with the ad’s vibrant pink color scheme, the books and star emojis and the fluffy pink pen held by Jenkins in the video, would especially be understood by viewers referred to the time of year when students returned to high school or sixth form after the summer holidays, and would appeal to them.
The ASA said: ‘We considered that the use of the word ‘slay’ in the claim ‘Get ready to slay this back-to-school season’ implied that girls or young women were more likely to succeed or doing well when they went back to school wearing makeup, in this case a concealing and contouring product.
‘We felt the ad had an effect on young girls’ insecurities about their appearance and therefore concluded it was irresponsible.’
The ASA ruled that the advert should not appear again, adding: ‘We told Coty UK, trading as Rimmel London, that they should not play on the insecurities of young girls by suggesting it was necessary to make wear up to school to succeed. ‘