The advertising watchdog has banned an advert sent by Boohoo that featured the term “send nudes”.
The body of an email newsletter received yesterday (October 15) contained an image of a female model wearing a beige jacket and the words “send nudes. Set the tone with new season hues”.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld a complaint the reference to “send nudes” was “socially irresponsible”.
The Manchester-based online retailer said the word “nude” was “solely” used to describe colours resembling the wearer’s skin tone.
While acknowledging “nude” was often used to refer to colours similar to some people’s skin tones, the ASA said the term was “likely” referring to the request for photos of a sexual nature.
“We noted that increased pressure to share such photos had been linked to negative outcomes for young people,” the watchdog said.
It added: “While the ad played on a well-known phrase to highlight a fashion trend, we considered the specific reference chosen had the effect of making light of a potentially harmful social trend.
“Furthermore, in the subject heading of an email, without any further context, the phrase “send nudes” was likely to be disconcerting for some recipients, particularly those who might have personal experience of being asked to “send nudes”.”
The watchdog told Boohoo it must make sure its advertising is “socially responsible”.
