Zara forced to close shop as protesters gather over 'ads that look like Gaza'

13 December 2023 , 13:13

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Protestors outside Zara in Glasgow

Protesters have forced staff at a Glasgow branch of Zara to close as they stormed the store in anger at the company's latest campaign.

The behemoth fashion chain has faced severe backlash for featuring mannequins with missing limbs surrounded by rubble in their newest campaign, which has been compared to images emerging from Gaza. The images for a line of jackets included what the company called "unfinished sculptures in a sculptor’s studio." However online critics said one image of a model holding a wrapped-up mannequin resembled someone holding a corpse. Other photos included a mannequin with missing limbs and a figure wrapped in fabric or plastic on the floor, according to news reports.

The company apologised in a statement posted on Instagram on Tuesday and said the campaign was conceived in July and photographed in September. Hamas attacked Israeli civilians on October 7, prompting Israel’s subsequent invasion of Gaza. Zara said the campaign was created "with the sole purpose of showcasing craftmade garments in an artistic context." While acknowledging the offence critics took to the images, the company said these people "saw in them something far from what was intended when they were created."

The ads provoked controversy (Zara)

Some felt the images were a reference to the ongoing war in Gaza (Zara)

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority said it had received 110 complaints that the imagery referenced the current Israel-Gaza conflict and was offensive. The watchdog said it was reviewing the complaints but was not currently investigating the ad. Before the backlash, Zara said that "The Jacket" campaign was "an exercise in concentrated design that is conceived to showcase the finest aspects of Zara's creative and manufacturing capabilities, Zara Atelier offers one garment, six ways - and with unlimited possibilities".

The Spanish company's statement was issued days after the controversy first emerged. It read: "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 regrets that misunderstanding and we reaffirm our deep respect towards everyone."

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