Facing boycott calls, Zara pulls controversial ad campaign that reminds some of Gaza carnage

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - Spanish company Zara changed controversial images on its website on Monday amid calls from Palestinian activists to boycott the popular fast fashion brand.

Earlier in the day, Zara featured images for its Atelier campaign on its website that some pro-Palestinian activists say look like they were inspired by the destruction of the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, in which over 18,000 people have been killed, most of them women and children.

In one image in particular, a sad-looking model holds a human figure wrapped in white over her shoulder, reminiscent of white shrouds used to cover the dead. Behind her, chunks of plaster are coming off the walls.

Other images show mannequins missing limbs.

Activists, struck by the photos' resemblance to the chaotic situation in Gaza where people are having to carry corpses, flooded Zara’s social media feeds with thousands of messages calling for a boycott. Eventually, #BoycottZara was trending on the social media platform X.

“I was a long-time loyal customer for clothing and perfume. Not anymore. Very distasteful campaign. I can't align with a company that has no moral compass,” wrote user ms_diannac.

“So tone deaf. Or worse, deliberate in celebrating a genocide,” wrote another Instagram user.

Zara did not reply to a request to comment from Anadolu Agency, but other media outlets report that Zara claims to have conceived and shot the photoshoot before Oct. 7.

On social media, some of the campaign images remain, as shot in an artist’s studio. According to Zara, they celebrate the brand's “commitment to craftsmanship and passion for artistic expression.”

This is not the first time Zara has been in hot water over the issue of Palestine.

In 2022, some Palestinian activists called for a boycott after a franchise owner of stores in Israel hosted a campaign for the far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir in his home.

While Ben-Gvir defended the store on social media, Palestinians shared videos in which they burned clothing they had bought from the store.