American Apparel (UK) countered the claim by insisting the model ended up being twenty years old and that the pictures had been consistent with requirements found in comparable advertisements.
However, the ASA upheld the problem and it has prohibited the ad, insisting: “We considered the design having a youthful appearance hence consumers would consider the lady as being younger than 16 many years.
With The youthful look associated with the design, we considered the advertisement could be seen to sexualise a child and had been irresponsible, and likely to cause offense to readers.”
This is certainlyn’t the first time American Apparel features found it self in hot-water using the advertising watchdog.
Last September, advertisements for its ‘back to school’ garments range were banned for “inappropriately sexualising girls and potentially normalising predatory sexual behaviour” towards teenagers.
The questionable social media campaign featured a college skirt-wearing model photographed from at the rear of from a decreased position and imitated voyeuristic “up-skirt” shots taken with no subject’s consent or understanding, in accordance with the ASA.
Jamal Matthews