Zara, a major player in fast fashion, is under fire as its recent advertising campaign drew criticism for displaying mannequins in rubble, evoking comparisons with harrowing images of conflict-torn Gaza.
Twitter
This resemblance has sparked widespread protest and calls to boycott the brand.
WE WILL NEVER FORGET. BOYCOTT ZARA pic.twitter.com/POkkOztHk4
— Free Palestine 🇵🇸 (@imannoo_) December 11, 2023
Zara faced calls for a boycott after its recent fashion campaign drew criticism for its alleged resemblance to images of war-torn Gaza.
Zara should be ashamed for making fun of innocent children who lost their lives in Gaza 🥹#Boycott Zara pic.twitter.com/t3qB5Hm5Ud
– SufwanAhmed07 (@Ahmed07Sufwan) December 11, 2023
Jump to
- What did the advertising campaign show?
- When did the protest start?
- How did the Internet react?
- What did Zara do amid the backlash?
What did the advertising campaign show?
Now you are next. Zara. #boycott Zara 🩸🩸 pic.twitter.com/SGlvewf9Ek
-MAHNOOR (@khAji78) December 11, 2023
The controversial campaign included images of McMenamy carrying a mannequin covered in white cloth and posing in various scenes, such as among rubble and inside wooden boxes, next to statues, some without limbs.
I don’t think anyone in branding or marketing saw the statue wrapped in that Zara photo shoot and didn’t think about this. But even if it was a mistake (you’re not current-aware enough to work in marketing), you approved it out of ignorance. This image is scorching pic.twitter.com/jYlNBCJUjg
– Seana (@GrantSana) December 11, 2023
When did the protest start?
Zara seems to have dug her own grave by posting these photos on her Instagram account, mocking the people of Palestine. How can a brand fall so low?#Boycott Zara pic.twitter.com/jyc9JOqkqx
-sid (@immasiddtweets) December 11, 2023
The photo shoots have been criticized for insensitive comparisons to war victims, who are traditionally wrapped in white cloth according to Islamic tradition.
Images comparing the campaign to the ongoing Gaza war were widely circulated on the microblogging platform, drawing widespread condemnation of the retailer’s perceived insensitivity, particularly as the conflict in Gaza stretches into its third month.
“Using death and destruction as a backdrop for fashion is beyond sinister; It is complicity and should outrage us as consumers,” commented Palestinian artist Hazem Harb on Instagram.
How did the Internet react?
Tunisians sprayed the Zara store in Tunisia after its offensive advertising campaign supporting the Israeli genocide in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/ymKpxchSZo
– 𓂆 Meryem (@hgmeryem) December 11, 2023
Zaskia Sungkar, an Indonesian actor and fashion designer with over 31 million followers on Instagram, said: “Goodbye Zara.” Journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin commented: “And the award for the deafest brand of the year goes to Zara.”
Another tweet condemning the advertising campaign said: “Zara Brand has mocked the plight of oppressed Palestinians and their martyrs in its advertising campaign. Let’s all boycott this hypocritical and insensitive Zara brand.”
Zara has been complicit in the Uighur genocide before and now. But we will never learn. Boycott this shit forever. #Boycott Zara #GazaHolocaust pic.twitter.com/lv9y4OHP2P
-MAHNOOR (@khAji78) December 11, 2023
The hashtag #BoycottZara gained traction on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), on Monday, December 11.
This increase in online activity came as users criticized the fashion brand for its recent campaign, titled “The Jacket,” which featured supermodel Kristen McMenamy.
The controversy led to activists spray-painting pro-Palestine slogans on some Zara stores in Montreal.
A Zara in Canada pic.twitter.com/UlfaLOR26T
— FREE PALESTINE (@missfalsteenia) December 11, 2023
Some X users drew parallels between the devastating war photographs coming out of Gaza, where nearly 18,000 people have been killed amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
What did Zara do amid the backlash?
Zara decided to withdraw its advertising campaign, which featured mannequins with missing limbs, covered statues and model Kristen McMenamy posing in the rubble.
This action is in response to a boycott initiated by pro-Palestinian protesters. A source close to Zara told iNews that the campaign was planned in advance: “Maybe it was a very bad time.”
Inditex, Zara’s parent company, has not responded to the criticism.
While the clothing brand described the campaign as a “limited-edition collection that celebrates craftsmanship and artistic expression,” it faced backlash on social media.
A source close to Zara told the newspaper that the campaign was planned in advance: “Maybe it was a very bad time.”
Additionally, Zara executive Vanessa Perilman’s comments sent to a Palestinian model in 2021 resurfaced, drawing more attention to the company’s response during the conflict.
During the recent controversy, certain social media users recalled comments made by Zara executive Vanessa Perilman to Palestinian model Qaher Harhash on Instagram two years ago. Harhash, a pro-Palestinian advocate, also shared screenshots of texts exchanged between him and Perilman in the wake of the bloody 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas in 2021.
Perilman and Zara faced criticism online after she sent the following message to Harhash: “Maybe if your people were educated then they wouldn’t blow up the hospitals and schools that Israel helped pay for in Gaza.
“Israelis do not teach children to hate or throw stones at soldiers like their people do.”
At the time, Inditex, the company that oversees Zara, distanced itself from Perilman’s comments, emphasizing that “does not accept any lack of respect towards any culture, religion, country, race or belief.”. “Zara is a diverse company and we will never tolerate discrimination of any kind.” the $120 billion company added. “We condemn these comments which do not reflect our core values of mutual respect and regret the offense they have caused.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn