A clothing brand, Snag, has disclosed that it receives upwards of a hundred complaints daily, primarily focusing on claims that its models are “too fat”. Snag is known for its vibrant range of tights and caters to a diverse audience with sizes ranging from 4 to 38. The brand employs over a hundred staff members, with at least 12 dedicated exclusively to moderating social media interactions to eliminate what they describe as “hateful” comments.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has indicated that, contrary to Snag’s experience, the majority of complaints it receives relate to models appearing underweight rather than overweight. The timely issue gained further attention following the recent banning of a Next advert, which was deemed irresponsible due to the portrayal of its model as “unhealthily thin” while promoting a line of jeans. This has drawn criticism from some social media users who labelled the situation as “hypocritical,” pointing out the apparent inconsistency in the treatment of campaigns featuring plus-size models.

Speaking to the BBC, Snag founder Brigitte Read remarked on the negative implications of body shaming, stating, “Shaming fat people does not help them to lose weight and actually it really impacts mental health and therefore their physical health.” Read expressed that the ban on advertisements featuring larger bodies reflects a prevailing issue of “fat phobia” in society. She emphasised the importance of representation, affirming, “Fat people exist, they’re equally as valid as thin people, they buy clothes and they need to see what they look like on people that look like them.” She concluded with a strong message on self-worth, stating, “You are not worth less the bigger you are. Models of all sizes, shapes, ethnicities and abilities are valid and should be represented.”

The ASA’s stance maintains that its intervention is predominantly focused on advertisements that display models perceived as underweight, a reflection of societal aspirations towards thinness. In a review from 2024, the ASA noted receiving 61 complaints regarding models’ weight, but only found sufficient grounds to pursue investigations into eight of those.

In reference to the contested Next advert, the company asserted that it was developed with a “strong sense of responsibility to both consumers and society.” Despite this, the ASA instructed that the ad should not be replicated in its original format, necessitating a revision to ensure that future advertising does not depict models in an unhealthily thin manner. The ASA clarified that the presentation of the model in the investigated advert, including pose and camera angle, strongly accentuated her slimness, leading to the conclusion that the model appeared unhealthily thin.

This ongoing discourse underscores a broader societal examination of body image and representation in advertising, catalysing discussions around the portrayal of different body types across various platforms.

Source: Noah Wire Services