Spanish retailer Zara joins boycott list after controversial ad
2 Min Read
Zara claims that the campaign, called "The Jacket", is a concentrated design intended to merely portray the versatility of the garment, but it illustrates unsettling portrayals such as bodies wrapped in a white body bag close to the Islamic burial attire or the 'kafan'
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An image from the new Zara clothing campaign (X)
After releasing its latest ad campaign, Spanish clothing retailer Zara is facing a crisis and public outcry for controversial images resembling those of the genocide in Gaza.
Zara claims that the campaign, called "The Jacket", is a concentrated design intended to merely portray the versatility of the garment.
But the backfire came when the ad's images illustrated unsettling portrayals such as bodies wrapped in a white body bag close to the Islamic burial attire or the 'kafan'. It also features rocks, rubble, and a cardboard cutout eerily close to an upside-down map of Palestine.
ZARA ATELIER. Collection 04_The Jacket
— ZARA (@ZARA) December 8, 2023
A limited edition collection from the house celebrating our commitment to craftsmanship and passion for artistic expression. https://t.co/EiUO0avB4w pic.twitter.com/nK15aTYNdJ
Many users on social media have announced adding the brand to their boycott list as a result, expressing their anger and disgust.
"My jaw dropped seeing this. Boycott for life. You are disgusting demons. I can't believe what I'm looking at," one user wrote.
Marketing over a #genocide.
— Enaam S. (@AnamSalem) December 9, 2023
New low. Our pain isn’t for sale.
Shame @ZARA. #boycottZara pic.twitter.com/PHWBrjyfKQ
Another said, "Do you think that 20,000 people are killed, and it is normal for you to use their deaths as a marketing method? Don't come out and say you didn't mean to... disgusting."
Another user expressed: "This is DISGUSTING!! Such a shame!! You have made a campaign based on the genocide occurring in Gaza. Innocent people dying!!"
Not a first for Zara
As of now, Zara has not issued a public response or statement regarding the controversy.
This is not the first time Zara has been faced with public condemnation regarding under-the-table support for "Israel".
In October 2022, Palestinians launched a campaign to boycott Zara, after its Franchise holder in "Israel", Joey Schwebel, met with members and head of the extremist Jewish Forces party Itamar Ben-Gvir, to support him in the Israeli elections.
#Palestinians launched a campaign to boycott the international fashion company, #Zara, after its Franchise holder in "Israel", Joey Schwebel, met with members and head of the extremist Jewish Forces party Itamar Ben Gvir, to support him in the upcoming Israeli elections. pic.twitter.com/jRRRsPXhxU
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 24, 2022
According to the Palestinian Safa news agency, Zara's branches in the occupied territories incurred significant financial losses after Palestinian calls to boycott it.
The agency quoted an auditor saying that "the losses incurred by the company are estimated at tens of millions of shekels within a very short period."
