Zara ‘regrets' ads with white cloth wrapped mannequin after Gaza boycott calls

Zara Ad Controversy: The images resembled photos of corpses in white shrouds in Gaza, people claimed.

Published on: Dec 12, 2023, 16:03:17 IST

By HT News Desk

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Fashion brand Zara said that it regretted the "misunderstanding" over an ad campaign featuring statues wrapped in white which triggered calls for a boycott by some pro-Palestinian activists. We have removed the images, Zara said after people left tens of thousands of complaints about the campaign on the company's Instagram account.

Zara Ad Controversy: A woman carries a bag from Spanish multinational retail clothing chain Zara, in the Gran Via of Bilbao, Spain. (Reuters)

The images resembled photos of corpses in white shrouds in Gaza, people claimed as "#BoycottZara" trended on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

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Zara is the first major Western brand to take such a drastic step after criticism of insensitive advertising amid Israel-Hamas war. Zara said the campaign, had been conceived in July and photographed in September before the conflict erupted in October. It was meant to show unfinished sculptures in a sculptor's studio, the company said. The advertisement featured mannequins with missing limbs.

"Unfortunately, some customers felt offended by these images, which have now been removed, and saw in them something far from what was intended when they were created," Zara said in an Instagram post. The images were used "with the sole purpose of showcasing craftmade garments in an artistic context", it said, adding, “Zara regrets that misunderstanding and we reaffirm our deep respect towards everyone.”

Six posts showcasing the campaign were removed from Zara's Instagram page. Parent company Inditex said that the photos has been pulled from all platforms. Zara had already pulled the "Atelier" photoshoot from its website and app home pages earlier. The "Atelier" collection consistes of six jackets- one of Zara's most expensive- priced from $229 to $799.

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