Zara Faces Backlash For Gaza-Inspired Ad Campaign; Here's All You Need To Know

Zara, the prominent Spanish fashion brand, has generated controversy with its recent advertising campaign, as numerous social media users allege that it bears a resemblance to the devastation in Gaza. Amid calls to boycott the brand trending on social media, supporters of Palestine have accused the campaign of seemingly "celebrating the demolition of Gaza" amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

What Is Zara’s Controversial Ad Campaign?

Zara's recent ad campaign, known as 'The Jacket,' is getting attention, and not in a good way. It's part of their Atelier series, meant to showcase new jackets. The ads feature a model, Kristen McMenamy, standing in what looks like a messy place, holding a mannequin wrapped in white cloth. The images also have a box that looks like a Muslim coffin and some mannequins missing arms or legs. People are discussing and questioning these pictures.

Online users pointed out the alarming similarity between the shattered white concrete structures and the ruined buildings in Gaza. They also noted that the mannequins bore a resemblance to the covered bodies of those affected by Israel's indiscriminate war on Gaza. The conflict has allegedly claimed the lives of over 18,000 individuals, including numerous children and women.

Zara’s Ad-Campaign Draws Twitter Boycott

Zara's advertising effort has sparked more than 110,000 calls for a boycott (boycott culture on bollywood) on X (formerly Twitter) ever since the fashion giant initially posted the controversial images online. Following the initiation of the boycott, demonstrators have assembled outside Zara outlets, spray-painting ‘Free Palestine’ slogans on windows, and organising protests within the stores. They've carried bundles of white clothes in a symbolic gesture to criticise the imagery used in the campaign.

It's time to cancel @ZARA. They are just selling cheap copies of premium brands & support genocide. #ZaraBoycott#Zara#ZaraCriminalArts#BoycottZara#CancelZara#GenocideSupporters#IsraelApartheidStatepic.twitter.com/D6IuAUBppB

— Mansoor Ahmed Elahi (@MaNsOoR1982) December 12, 2023

A Zara Instagram post from last Thursday gained significant attention, accumulating 45,000 likes and receiving over 171,000 comments. The majority of comments expressed condemnation for the ads, with users posting the Palestinian flag and urging a boycott.

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Zara Pulls The Campaign After Boycott

The fast fashion giant Zara removed advertisements for its latest fashion collection from certain sections of its website and app. This decision followed a wave of criticism and calls for boycotts on social media, with some claiming that the ads appeared to trivialise the destruction caused by the Israel-Hamas conflict. However, Zara maintains that the campaign was developed months before the controversy.

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Inditex, the parent company of Zara, took to their social media and explained that the content change was part of its routine process for refreshing content. While it did not directly address the boycott calls, it clarified that the ‘Atelier’ collection concept was developed in July, and the associated photos were taken in September. It emphasised that the Israel-Hamas conflict began after October 7, indicating that the campaign was not intended to correlate with the ongoing events.

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However, this isn’t the first the brand has faced backlash. In October 2022, the brand faced backlash from both Palestinians and Israelis when the head of Zara's local franchise in Israel organised a campaign event for an ultranationalist politician.