Marks & Spencer advert with ‘unhealthily thin’ model banned

An advert for Marks & Spencer has been banned for featuring a model who looked “unhealthily thin”.

The UK advertising watchdog concluded that it was “irresponsible” for the retailer to use the image to advertise clothes on its mobile app.

The Advertising Standards Authority said the model, who was wearing slim-fit trousers and a white top, “appeared thin and she wore large pointed shoes which emphasised the slenderness of her legs”.

Camera angles used also made the model’s head appear out of proportion and “highlighted her small frame”, the ruling added.

“Therefore, we considered that the pose of the model and the choice of clothing meant the ad gave the impression that the model was unhealthily thin,” the ASA said.

The retailer apologised for any offence caused and removed the image.

An M&S spokeswoman said: “Our womenswear sizing ranges from size 8 to 24 and we always want to reflect that in our advertising.

“The product images on our website feature models of varying sizes so we can appeal to all our customers, however following the ASA guidance, we have removed this particular image from our website and apologise for any offence caused.”

Three more images were reported to the ASA by consumers, but the watchdog said there was no breach and did not ban them.