ASAA Gucci advert has been banned for featuring an ‘unhealthily thin’ model.
The advert for the Italian fashion brand showed a group of Gucci-clad models dancing in a villa, with the original clip featuring images of two models at the end; one on a sofa and one leaning against a wall.
Both models were the subject of a complaint that the advert was irresponsible for showing ‘unhealthy’ women.
ASABut it’s the photo of the girl leaning against a wall that’s causing a stir.
The Advertising Standards Authority said that the way the girl is standing, her slender arms and torso, and her dark eye makeup make her look ‘gaunt’, and ruled that the image was ‘irresponsible’.
Gucci defended the advert, though, and insisted the woman was just ‘toned and slim’.
The fashion powerhouse claimed that the advert, which appeared on The Times’ website, was aimed at an ‘older, sophisticated’ audience, citing that the newspaper had an ‘adult and mature readership’, The Guardian reports.
The brand also said that while the models were slim, the advert did not show the models’ bones or dress them in revealing clothes. They added that the ‘lighting was uniform and warm to ensure there were no hollows caused by shadows’.
But the ASA disagreed, saying that the video was irresponsible and showed a model with a body that was overly thin and disproportionate.
They have since told Gucci to only use responsible images in future ad campaigns – which is a good step forward in a time where young people are so influenced by advertisements.
