Zara Said Ads Had 'Artistic Context.' Critics Disagreed

Retail clothing chain Zara says it has pulled images from an ad campaign featuring statues wrapped in white coverings after some said they resembled the shrouded bodies of murdered Palestinians. Users left tens of thousands of comments on the Spanish brand's Instagram page criticizing the images, while calls to boycott the chain resounded on X, per Reuters. One image showed a model holding a mannequin wrapped in white plastic or cloth over her shoulder. Other photos showed the model "against a background of cracked stones, damaged statues, and broken plasterboard," per the BBC. Some mannequins were shown with missing limbs.

"Zara is mocking the Palestinians who are massacred by Israel," one user wrote. Zara defended the campaign, saying it had been conceived in July and photographed in September—before the outbreak of violence in Israel and Gaza, which has reportedly killed more than 18,000 people—"with the sole purpose of showcasing craftmade garments in an artistic context," per Zara's Instagram. The photo shoot featured Zara's "Atelier" collection of six jackets, priced up to $799, in what appeared to be an artist's studio. "Unfortunately, some customers felt offended by these images, which have now been removed, and saw in them something far from what was intended when they were created," Zara said.

Zara's parent company, Inditex, said six images from the campaign were removed from Instagram and other platforms. Zara had removed references to the photo shoot from its website and app on Monday, with Inditex initially claiming the change was part of a normal refreshing of content, per Reuters. "Zara regrets that misunderstanding and we reaffirm our deep respect towards everyone," the chain said Tuesday. The UK's Advertising Standards Authority said it received 50 complaints about the ad, but it's not currently investigating. Pro-Palestinian activists also called for a boycott of Zara last year after a franchise owner in Israel hosted a campaign event for far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir. (More boycott stories.)