Pro-Palestine campaigners called for a boycott of Zara after the retailer’s most recent campaign went viral for simulating the destruction of Gaza. Outrage has been sparked by Zara’s most recent advertising campaign, which portrays statues missing limbs against a scene of ruins.
The fashion company is currently being investigated after social media users expressed displeasure over the launch of Zara’s latest advertising campaign. There have been accusations of insensitivity because a lot of people are seeing parallels between the campaign’s images and incidents from the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Model Kristen McMenamy appears in the controversial advertisement carrying a mannequin covered in white fabric. Some people claim this striking image is similar to photos depicting the aftermath of the conflict in Israel and Palestine. The model is depicted within a wooden box in other campaign images.
C'est la promotion du crime et la moquerie du chagrin !
Boycottez Zara immédiatement ! pic.twitter.com/sw58GtdU84— Brice Garreau (@BriceGarreau) December 11, 2023
Founder Amancio Ortega of Zara, one of the richest apparel companies in the world, is ranked as the 14th richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of US$75 billion.
Kristen McMenamy, a model for Zara, appears with mannequins covered in plastic and white cloth in the “The Jacket” ad. According to the retailer, the campaign is a purposeful design decision meant to emphasise the garment’s adaptability.
The pictures, which showed people wrapped in white body bags that resembled Islamic burial garments, caused a backlash from the general public, who saw them as disturbing depictions. Additional components of the campaign include stones, debris, and a cardboard cutout that resembles an inverted map of Palestine.
ZARA recent campaign exploiting a genocide & commodifying Palestine pain for profit is disgusting
Shame on you brand @ZARA for stooping so low prioritizing greed over humanity & pretending it was harmless
Deleting posts afterward magnifies awareness of harm🇵🇸#BoycottZara pic.twitter.com/mRVP41rX54— Khadija (@khadijatweets_) December 10, 2023
Earlier in 2021, Vanessa Perilman, the chief designer, made offensive remarks about Palestinians on social media, which led to similar condemnation of the company.
Model Qaher Harhash from Palestine was tagged by Perilman on Instagram with the comment, “Maybe if your people were educated then they wouldn’t blow up the hospitals and schools that Israel helped to pay for in Gaza.”
Zara’s stores in occupied regions are said to have lost tens of millions of shekels in profits during the last boycott in a short period of time.
Since October 7, the boycott movement against a number of multinational companies for their support of and ties to Israel has expanded significantly.
Among the brands engaged are Starbucks, H&M, KFC, and McDonald’s.