Zara Faces Backlash And Pulls Ad Campaign Amid Alleged Resemblance To Gaza Pics

Zara, a major player in fast fashion, is under fire as its recent advertising campaign drew criticism for showcasing mannequins amidst the rubble, evoking comparisons to distressing images from conflict-stricken Gaza.

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This resemblance has sparked widespread outcry and calls for a boycott against the brand.

Zara faced calls for a boycott after its recent fashion campaign drew criticism for its alleged resemblance to images from war-torn Gaza.

What did the ad campaign show?

The controversial campaign included images of McMenamy carrying a mannequin covered in white cloth and posing in various scenes, such as amidst rubble and inside wooden boxes, alongside statues, some lacking limbs.

When did the protest begin?

The photo shoots have faced criticism for insensitive comparisons with war victims, who are traditionally wrapped in plain white cloth according to Islamic tradition.

Images comparing the campaign with the ongoing Gaza war were extensively circulated on the micro-blogging platform, garnering widespread condemnation for the retailer's perceived insensitivity, primarily as the conflict in Gaza extends into its third month.

“Using death and destruction as a backdrop for fashion is beyond sinister; it’s complicity and should outrage us as consumers,” Palestinian artist Hazem Harb commented on Instagram.

How did the internet react?

Zaskia Sungkar, an Indonesian actor and fashion designer with a massive following of over 31 million on Instagram, said, “Goodbye Zara.”.?Journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin commented: “And the award for most tone-deaf brand of the year goes to Zara.”

Another tweet condemning the ad campaign read: “Zara Brand has mocked the plight of the oppressed Palestinians and their martyrs in their advertising campaign. Let us all boycott this hypocritical and insensitive Zara brand.”

The hashtag #BoycottZara gained traction on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), on Monday, December 11.?

This surge in online activity occurred as users criticized the fashion brand for its recent campaign, titled "The Jacket," which prominently featured supermodel Kristen McMenamy.

The controversy led to activists spray-painting pro-Palestine slogans on some Zara stores in Montreal.?

Some X users drew parallels between the devastating war photos coming out of Gaza, where nearly 18,000 people have been killed amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.'

What did Zara do amid the backlash??

Zara has decided to pull its advertising campaign, which featured mannequins with missing limbs, draped statues, and model Kristen McMenamy posing amid the rubble.?

This action is in response to a boycott that pro-Palestinian protesters started.?A source close to Zara told iNews that the campaign was planned in advance: "Perhaps this was very bad timing.”?

Inditex, Zara's parent company, has not responded to the criticism.

While the clothing brand described the campaign as a "limited edition collection celebrating craftsmanship and artistic expression," it faced backlash on social media.?

A source close to Zara told the newspaper the campaign was planned in advance: “Perhaps this was very bad timing.”

Additionally, comments from Zara executive Vanessa Perilman, sent to a Palestinian model in 2021, resurfaced, drawing further attention to the company's response during the conflict.?

During the recent controversy, certain social media users brought back comments made by Zara executive Vanessa Perilman to Palestinian model Qaher Harhash on Instagram two years ago.?Harhash, a pro-Palestine 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 to pay for in Gaza.

“Israelis don’t teach children to hate nor throw stones at soldiers as your people do.”

At that time, Inditex, the company overseeing Zara, distanced itself from Perilman's comments, emphasizing that it “does not accept any lack of respect for any culture, religion, country, race, or belief.”. "Zara is a diverse company, and we shall never tolerate discrimination of any kind," the $120 billion company added.?"We condemn these comments that do not reflect our core values of respect for one another, and we regret the offense that they have caused."

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