Photoshop Fail Leads to Ad Ban: A Cautionary Tale for Fashion Photography
A Photoshop Fail in Advertising
A Photoshop fail in advertising or branding doesn’t normally make the headlines these days. Some dodgy editing even gets blamed on AI (just see the controversy over the Fantastic Four poster). But it’s not every day that an image gets banned partly due to digital manipulation.
The Controversy: Next’s Ad Banned for Exaggerating Model’s Thinness
The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has told the high street retailer Next to remove a piece of publicity because the imagery made the model look “unhealthily thin”. This decision raises questions for fashion photography in general.
The Image in Question
The image in question is a publicity shot featuring a model wearing stretch denim leggings. The image was used to promote Next’s “Power Stretch Denim Leggings”. The model is shown wearing the leggings, which appear to be very long and tight-fitting.
The Ruling: ASA’s Decision
The ASA received a complaint that the image was irresponsible because of how thin the model looks. Next argued that it used a range of models with different body shapes, including plus-size models. It claimed that the model in this image had a “healthy and toned physique” and that her proportions were “balanced” given her height (5ft 9in).
Digital Retouching: A Double-Edged Sword
Next denied digitally retouching the model’s appearance, but admitted that the image had been digitally altered to make the leggings look longer and to make them the focus of the shot "while avoiding any exaggeration of her body shape". However, the ASA ruled that while the model’s slimmess had been exaggerated.
Camera Angle: A New Concern for Fashion Photography
The ASA also criticized the camera angle. It took the view that shooting from low down with what was probably a wide lens “accentuated the model’s already tall physique". This raises the question of whether brands need to avoid certain camera positions and lenses as well as poses and over editing to avoid distorting a model’s proportions.
Conclusion
This is not the first time the ASA has banned a fashion ad for making a model look too thin. It’s previously criticized heavy-handed airbrushing and other digital manipulation, as well as exaggerated makeup. But this is the first time that a camera angle has been blamed in addition to post-production.
FAQs
Q: What did Next argue in defense of the image?
A: Next argued that it used a range of models with different body shapes, including plus-size models. It claimed that the model in this image had a “healthy and toned physique” and that her proportions were “balanced” given her height (5ft 9in).
Q: Did Next admit to retouching the model’s appearance?
A: No, Next denied digitally retouching the model’s appearance, but admitted that the image had been digitally altered to make the leggings look longer and to make them the focus of the shot "while avoiding any exaggeration of her body shape".
Q: What did the ASA rule?
A: The ASA ruled that the ad was irresponsible because it gave the impression that the model was unhealthily thin. It told Next to ensure that the images in their ads were prepared responsibly and did not portray models as being unhealthily thin.
