Brickbat: Body Shaming

The United Kingdom's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banned two Zara advertisements featuring models deemed "unhealthily thin," citing the promotion of harmful beauty standards. The ads, which appeared on Zara's app and website, showed a model with a "gaunt" appearance due to shadows and a tight hair bun, and another with a pose emphasizing "protruding" collarbones, leading the ASA to rule them "irresponsible." Zara removed the ads but said both models had medical certificates confirming their good health, and no direct consumer complaints were received. The decision follows similar bans on Next ads earlier in 2025 for featuring overly thin models, raising questions among some Brits about why ads with overweight models face no similar restrictions.