Zara pulls ad campaign accused of evoking Gaza war images: ‘We regret the misunderstanding’
The Inditex giant has issued a statement in which it explained the photos were taken before the Israeli offensive began
Zara has responded to the controversy sparked by an ad campaign called “The Jacket.” The fashion company had been widely criticized for the campaign, in which models pose with broken sculptures wrapped in plastic and fabric. Critics argued that the images evoked the photos coming out of Gaza, in which victims of Israeli attacks are seen hugging the shrouded bodies of their deceased loved ones.
In a statement on its Instagram account, Zara said it was sorry that some customers “felt offended” by the images of its campaign, and that it “regrets that misunderstanding.”
In its statement, Zara — which is owned by the Spanish firm Inditex — explained the backstory to the photoshoot. “The campaign, which was conceived in July and photographed in September, presents a series of images of unfinished sculptures in a sculptor’s studio and was created with the sole purpose of showcasing craftmade garments in an artistic context,” it said.
Although Zara’s message does not mention Palestine or Gaza, by citing the date of the campaign’s creation, the company makes it clear that it was conceived before the start of the Israeli offensive on Gaza, which began after the Hamas attack on October 7.
“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,” the statement continued. “Zara regrets that misunderstanding and we reaffirm our deep respect towards everyone.”
The famous Instagram account Diet Prada was one of the first to point out the campaign’s resemblance to the terrible images being captured in the Gaza Strip. The Instagram account, which has 3.4 million followers, compared the photo of a woman hugging the body of a murdered child with that of a model with a sculpture wrapped in plastic. The post now has more than 4,300 comments.
Every season, Zara publishes dozens of advertising campaigns with some of the best photographers in the world. These campaigns tell stories that showcase the garments in the collections. Last year, Zara made $23.8 billion in sales worldwide.
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