• By Vivek Raj
  • Wed, 13 Dec 2023 12:42 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND
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Zara, the global fashion retailer, has expressed "regret" and withdrawn an ad campaign following criticism for images resembling scenes from the Israel-Gaza war. The campaign, promoting Zara's Atelier line, faced backlash on social media and drew complaints from the UK's advertising watchdog.

Images, including one featuring a model holding a mannequin wrapped in white plastic, led to tens of thousands of complaints on Zara's Instagram account, with the hashtag "#BoycottZara" trending on social media platform X.

Zara acknowledged the controversy, stating that customers interpreted the images differently from the intended artistic context. The company removed the remaining pictures and expressed regret for the "misunderstanding."

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"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.

 
 
 
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Zara clarified that the campaign, conceived in July and photographed in September, aimed to showcase craft-made garments in an artistic context.

The ad campaign drew parallels with images from the Israel-Gaza conflict, resulting in protests outside a Zara store in Tunisia, with demonstrators chanting and waving a Palestinian flag.

Some targeted the store's display window with red paint. The UK's Advertising Standards Authority received 110 complaints, but as Zara removed the ad, no further action will be taken.
"As Zara has now removed the ad, we won't be taking any further action," the ASA said in a statement.

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Six posts from the "Atelier" campaign were removed from Zara's Instagram, and parent company Inditex confirmed the withdrawal of photos from all platforms. Despite the controversy, the "Atelier" collection, featuring six jackets and priced from USD 229 to 799, remains available for purchase on Zara's websites.