OAN's Elizabeth Bolbelding
11:15am – Monday, January 22, 2024
Swedish clothing company H&M, which has hundreds of stores across the United States, has been criticized by the public and social media after publishing an ad for school uniforms and a “highly inappropriate” caption that allegedly sexualizes young children. It was reported that it was facing backlash from users. Detractors.
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The H&M ad featured an image of two elementary school girls, who appeared to be twins, wearing H&M school uniforms.
The ad's caption reads: “Stand out with H&M's Back to School fashion.”
Australian author Melinda Tankard Leist, whose work deals with the negative effects of sexualization and pornography, was one of the first social media users to criticize the ad.
“What is the purpose of this Facebook sponsored ad?” Leist shared on X. Many people I work with at school prefer to be left alone to learn and have fun because they don't want to draw unnecessary attention to their appearance. ”
The ad received a lot of backlash as many parents as well as online users claimed that the ad was inappropriate and sexualized children. Several users found the ad “creepy” and “disgusting” and brought up their own stories of being able to “see” when they were in elementary school.
“What the hell is going on? This is disgusting and sexualizing children,” one social media user wrote on Twitter.
Another user wrote: “Disappointed to hear that the H&M Australia Back to School ad is causing anger among parents.” “The caption used in the ad seems highly inappropriate and insensitive. Brands need to prioritize responsible advertising, especially when children are involved.”
H&M has now removed the ad and issued a public apology.
“We have removed this ad,” the Swedish fashion brand announced to the press. “We deeply apologize for any inconvenience this incident may have caused, and are currently considering how to proceed with the campaign.”
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