Zara Withdraws ‘Tone-Deaf’ Visuals Seemingly Trivializing Gaza Conflict
Image via Zara
Zara’s unorthodox shoots have landed it in trouble this time. The fashion giant recently found itself in the midst of controversy over its latest advertising campaign, which has reaped calls to boycott the brand for life.
The “tone-deaf” campaign, featuring images of mannequins with missing limbs and statues in white body bags, has been accused of making light of the conflict in Gaza. Part of Zara’s Atelier collection, these visuals struck a nerve with many, as they were seen to mirror the harsh realities of war-torn areas.
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Critics pointed out the unsettling similarity between the concepts and the distressing, real-life scenes of casualties and destruction that are all too familiar in Gaza, where about 18,000 Palestinians have been killed.
The backlash was particularly pronounced among pro-Palestine activists and users on social media platforms, where members of the public lambasted Zara for what they saw as a disregard for the suffering of people in conflict zones and accused the brand of trivializing serious humanitarian issues. Calls for boycotting the retailer grew louder as more people joined the chorus of disapproval.
I am beyond disgusted. Using genocide of the people in Palestine for your campaign? I will never, ever, buy anything from Zara, ever again. This is absolutely cruel, heartless and evil. Mocking more than 20 thousand deaths of Palestinian people for a freaking campaign?? Udah gila… pic.twitter.com/cefmJE0oLs
— Alexander Thian (@aMrazing) December 10, 2023
“Done with Zara for life. What a sensitive time and what a vile thing to do,” an artist commented on one of the brand’s Instagram posts. “Thousands are dead, and you’re fashion campaigning?”
ZARA has recently initiated an ad campaign that exploits the Israeli genocide in Gaza to promote their fashion products.
— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) December 10, 2023
This deliberate choice aligns with Zara's past support for Israeli extremism, leading to a boycott by socially-conscious Israelis last year.#Boycottzara pic.twitter.com/k7sFyiT1Lo
“Use this comment as the boycott button,” another person wrote, inciting social media users to like their comment in agreeance to taking their money elsewhere.
“From Zara to zero,” said another.
In the wake of the outcry, Zara took down the campaign from the front page of its website and app. The photos remain on its social media channels.
However, its parent company, Inditex, described this decision as part of its regular content update process. It justified that the contentious images were conceived in July and photographed in September, predating the recent intensification of the conflict.
Telling iNews, a source close to Zara commented: “Perhaps this was very bad timing.”
