We all know sex sells but these Missguided advertisements are walking the line between sexual liberation and sexual objectification. The Advertising Standards Authority have called for the fashion brand to take down one of their advertisements citing that it is inappropriate.
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The ad, which was displayed at many Manchester train stations in November, depicts a model wearing a blazer, tights and heels and is leaning back in a way that can be interpreted as being suggestive. The pose shows a bit of skin and the ASA argues that the ad doesn't even draw attention to the clothing but rather to the model's bare chest:
"We considered she would be seen as being in a state of undress and that the focus was on her chest area and lower abdomen rather than the clothing being advertised...We considered that the sexually suggestive styling and pose would be seen as presenting women as sexual objects. Because the ad objectified women, we concluded that it was likely to cause serious offence."
However, the Manchester-based company went on to argue that the imagery serves a representation of the brand's attitude towards women's empowerment, which “was extremely important to their business”.
Missguided also went on to state that the level of skin was not uncommon and actually “in keeping with industry norms and similar ads in the fast-fashion industry”.
Another Missguided advertisement was also shown on London subway platforms in the same time period. However, despite similar imagery, this ad was issued no warnings.
The ASA decided that this ad was allowed to stay as it didn't feed into over-sexualisation as much as its counterpart. The advert also directed the viewer's eye more towards the garment on display:
"The wrap style of the dress and her pose, with one arm slightly behind her, meant that it fell open just by her breast, which we considered was likely to be in keeping with how the dress would ordinarily be worn, but featured no explicit nudity. We also considered the focus of the ad was on the model in general and on the featured dress, rather than on a specific part of her body."
This is not the first time Missguided has faced backlash around its risqué approach to selling clothes. Last June, the company was also reprimanded for a swimwear ad that displayed during Love Island adverts.
