Zara Ad Banned Over Unhealthy Thin Models in UK Advertising Standards Authority Ruling.

The UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned two Zara ads for using models who appeared "unhealthily thin." The ASA found that styling choices, lighting, and clothing contributed to the impression of excessive thinness. Zara must ensure all its images are "prepared responsibly" moving forward, and has removed the photos in question from its website. The fashion industry has faced criticism for decades over the use of excessively thin models, with several countries implementing protective measures.

The UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned two Zara ads for using models who appeared "unhealthily thin." The ASA found that styling choices, lighting, and clothing contributed to the impression of excessive thinness. Zara must ensure all its images are "prepared responsibly" moving forward, and has removed the photos in question from its website.

The ASA investigation began after receiving a complaint about the ads, which were listed on Zara's website in May. One image showed a model with "protruding" collarbones, while another featured a model who looked "slightly gaunt" due to a slicked-back hairstyle and lighting. The watchdog ruled the ads breached social responsibility rules and must not appear again in the same form.

Zara stated that the models were medically certified as healthy, in line with British guidelines. The company also assured that only minor lighting and colouring edits were made on the images. Zara has removed the adverts and said that both models in question had medical certification proving they were in good health when the pictures were taken.

This ban comes after similar adverts by other retailers were banned earlier this year for models being too thin. In July, an advert by Marks & Spencer was banned because the model appeared to be "unhealthily thin." The ASA said the pose of the model and the choice of clothing made the advert "irresponsible." Earlier this year, fellow retailer Next also had an advert for blue skinny jeans banned.

The ASA's actions have sparked pushback online, with some commentators arguing that while underweight models are routinely flagged, campaigns featuring overweight or obese models face no scrutiny. The ASA has not responded to these critiques.

These ASA rulings reflect stricter oversight of brand ethics, separating aesthetic choices from ethical responsibility. Zara and BrewDog both crossed that line, but in very different ways. For CMOs, that's the new standard. Teams need to ask how each image and phrase will land in a cultural context.

The fashion industry has faced criticism for decades over the use of excessively thin models, with several countries implementing protective measures. The UK's ASA is part of this global trend, emphasizing the importance of responsible advertising.

References:
[1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp941z3nnnxo
[2] https://www.newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/advertising-standards-authority-zara-unhealthily-thin/2025/08/06/id/1221445/
[3] https://www.designrush.com/news/zara-brewdog-ad-bans-brand-ethics