Retailer pulls "creepy" and "disturbing" ad for school uniforms
H&M has removed a school uniform ad in Australia after social media users slammed the retailer for sexualising children.
The ad, which a few social media users have screenshot before it was removed, features two young girls in school uniform looking back at the camera with the caption: "Make those heads turn in H&M's Back to School fashion."
Users on X, formerly known as Twitter, slammed the ad calling it it "creepy" and "disturbing", and sharing their own stories about "being ogled" at school.
"What is your intention with this sponsored Facebook ad?" Australian writer Melinda Tankard Reist, whose work addresses sexualization and the harms of pornography, shared on X.
"Little schoolgirls generally don't want to 'turn heads.' The large numbers I engage with in schools want to be left alone to learn and have fun and not draw unwanted attention to their appearance."
"The little girls parents generally prefer heads don't 'turn' when others see their daughters walking to school, on a bus or in class," she continued.
"Why would you want to fuel the idea that little girls should draw attention to their looks, bodies and 'style'?"
@hm @hmaustralia what is your intention with this sponsored Facebook ad? Little schoolgirls generally don’t want to “turn heads”. The large numbers I engage with in schools want to be left alone to learn and have fun and not draw unwanted attention to their appearance 1/ pic.twitter.com/DDwv42GeNz
— Melinda TankardReist (@MelTankardReist) January 18, 2024
Another user wrote: "This is really disturbing.
"I remember being cat called whilst waiting for the bus in my school uniform. It made me feel unsafe."
"Girls go to school to get an education, not to be jeered at by onlookers," they concluded.
The Swedish fashion giant has since removed the ad and apologised for the campaign.
"We have removed this ad," they told CNN.
"We are deeply sorry for the offence this has caused and we are looking into how we present campaigns going forward."
Images: Getty