Regulator bans Boohoo ad over claims it ‘objectifies women’

A Boohoo advert has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) following complaints it was “sexually suggestive.”

The regulator received a complaint that the images shown on the advert “objectified and sexualised women, challenged whether the ad was offensive, harmful and irresponsible.”

The advert, which appeared last November, featured a product listing for a T-shirt and showed a model’s rear view as well as an upper-body shot that showed the model lifting the T-shirt and exposing skin on her stomach and side.

It was decided by the ASA that although the image had been presented as part of the swimwear category, it must not appear again in its current form.

The regulator said: “We also noted that neither the partial nudity nor the bikini bottoms were relevant to the product and that the images did not show the product as it would usually be worn.

“For those reasons, we concluded that the ad objectified and sexualised women. It was therefore irresponsible and likely to cause serious offence.”

A Boohoo Group spokesman said: “We are disappointed by the findings of this ruling because we pride ourselves in our inclusive, body positive imagery.

“Our marketing reflects the vibrant and confident culture of our brand, and is not designed to intentionally cause offence.

“We removed the associated images from our website when we received details of the complaint from the ASA.”