Clothing advert banned after model is deemed ‘too skinny’

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A TV advert for a clothing firm which targets young women has been banned because the model was deemed ‘too skinny’. Nasty Gal’s ad showed the model, whose rib cage could be seen, playing tennis in a yellow swimsuit and golf in a red skirt and top among other outfits. Three versions of the advert were aired in the UK in June but received 22 complaints from viewers, unhappy with how ‘unhealthily thin’ the model was.

And now bosses at the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) have deemed the media socially irresponsible. They said: ”The ASA considered that while the female model in the ads generally appeared to be in proportion, there were specific scenes, which because of her poses, drew attention to her slimness.’ The regulatory body added: ‘For instance, the ads showed the model lying on a sun lounger stretching her arms, which emphasised their slimness and length. ‘Furthermore, towards the end of the ads were scenes showing the model spraying mist on herself, which placed focus on her chest where her rib cage was visible and appeared prominent.

‘We considered that the model appeared unhealthily underweight in those scenes and concluded that the ads were therefore irresponsible. ‘The ads must not be broadcast again in their current form. We told Nasty Gal Ltd to ensure that the content in their ads were prepared responsibly.’ But Nasty Gal said the model in question was a UK size eight and that her BMI was ‘within the healthy range for adult women’.