Social Media Erupts: Boycott Zara Trends Amid Ad Controversy

The Israel-Hamas war has led to a severe humanitarian crisis, and netizens, mainly from Muslim countries, are raising their voices to ban and not use Israeli products. In this regard, the social media community has recently lamented the famous Spanish fashion brand Zara for its latest ad campaign with alleged resemblances to the destruction in Gaza.

The advertisement campaign, entitled “The Jacket,” is part of the brand’s Atelier series. It features model Kristen McMenamy lifting a mannequin covered in white cloth on her shoulder, while other mannequins, as you can see in the given image, appear with limbs missing. Moreover, the model is also surrounded by debris.

The netizens view it as a mockery of the people of Gaza and are comparing the depiction with photos of the bodies of those killed in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. A critic also claimed that one of the pieces of plasterboard behind the model in the photo looks like a map of Palestine.

A large number of social media users were asking people to boycott Zara as the campaign images went viral. The company has since deleted posts including the images but hasn’t issued a statement as of yet. In this regard, Palestinian artist Hazem Harb, on Instagram, said,

Using death and destruction as a backdrop for fashion is beyond sinister, it’s complicity and should outrage us as consumers, boycott Zara.

Influencers Noor Amra and Hina Cheema also posted on Instagram, with the message: “We have all seen the devastating images of shrouded bodies coming out of Gaza … It’s clearly a deliberate mock to Palestinians. They know exactly what they are doing.”

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