H&M school uniform ad ‘sexualises’ girls

FASHION giant H&M has pulled an advert for girls’ school uniform after being accused of sexualising young children.

The advert, which was published in Australia, featured two girls in pinafore dresses with the slogan: “Make those heads turn in H&M’S Back to School fashion.”

While the retailer has withdrawn the ad and apologised, it has been criticised for promoting the campaign in the first place.

Justine Roberts, the founder and chief executive of parenting forum Mumsnet, said: “It’s disappointing to see that, 14 years later, retailers are still creating inappropriate adverts that prematurely sexualise young girls.

“While we’re pleased that H&M have accepted their mistake and removed the advert, it really should never have been created in the first place.

“Our users would love to be reassured that they’re taking steps to ensure everyone at H&M is crystal clear about the issue so it doesn’t happen again.”

An H&M spokesman said: “We have removed this ad. We are deeply sorry for the offence this has caused and will look into how we present campaigns going forward.”

It is not only adverts featuring children that have been criticised for being overly sexualised. A poster featuring FKA Twigs, the 36-year-old singer-songwriter, wearing a denim shirt drawn halfway round her body, leaving the side of her buttocks and half of one breast exposed, with the slogan “Calvins or nothing”, was banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) last week.

The watchdog agreed with complainants, who said the advert was overly sexualised, offensive and irresponsible because it objectified women.

However, the artist challenged the complaints in an Instagram post on Thursday and said she did not see the “stereotypical sexual object” to which the ASA referred.