London — Fashion giant Zara has come under fire after two of its adverts were officially banned in the United Kingdom for portraying models deemed “unhealthily thin.” The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which oversees commercial content across British media, ruled that the imagery promoted potentially harmful beauty standards.
The watchdog said that one model in particular appeared “gaunt,” with hollow cheeks made more prominent by strategic lighting and styling. The ASA noted that shadows falling on the model’s face, combined with her hairstyle and posture, contributed to an unhealthy appearance that could be seen as glamorising extreme thinness.
“We considered the model’s pose, styling, and the overall presentation gave an impression of ill-health,” the regulator concluded in its formal decision.
Zara, which is owned by the global retail group Inditex, defended the campaign, claiming the models were healthy and professionally styled according to fashion norms. However, the ASA determined the ads breached rules on social responsibility and body image representation.
Both advertisements have been ordered to be taken down and must not appear again in their original form. The ruling marks yet another moment in the ongoing debate over how the fashion industry portrays body types, particularly to younger audiences.
In recent years, regulators and advocacy groups have increased pressure on brands to feature diverse and realistic body imagery. While progress has been made in some areas, incidents like this continue to highlight the ongoing struggle within fashion marketing to balance aesthetics with responsibility.
The ASA’s ruling has been broadly welcomed by health advocates, who say it sends a clear message that promoting harmful body ideals — even subtly — is no longer acceptable in mainstream advertising.
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