Next advert banned for featuring ‘unhealthily thin’ model

The product listing for Next was deemed irresponsible by the ASA. An advert for high street retailer Next has been banned after featuring an “unhealthily thin” model. The ad, a product listing for denim leggings on the Next website, was deemed “irresponsible” by The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after a single viewer complained. The listing showed the model sat on a wooden block. She had her legs outstretched towards the camera.

The ASA said the retailer had used specific styling, camera angle and a particular pose to highlight the slimness of her legs. Next said the ad was created with a “strong sense of responsibility to both consumers and society.” It said the model, while slim, had a healthy and toned physique that aligned with the nature of its product. The retailer confirmed it had not applied digital retouching to alter the model’s appearance, but said the image of the leggings was altered so they were brought further down towards her ankles.

Next said its stylist and product image manager met the model in person and did not have any concerns about her health. The ASA acknowledged that the model’s face did not appear to be gaunt and her arms, while slim, did not display any protruding bones. However, it said the model’s left leg was bent at a right angle, with her thigh appearing to be the same width as her lower leg, and the sharpness of the angle drawing attention to her knee, which was prominent underneath the tight-fitting leggings.

The shot appeared to have been taken from a lower angle, which accentuated the model’s already tall physique and further emphasised the slimness of her legs. Furthermore, the pointed shape of her shoes, as well as their positioning, added to the impression of the model’s elongated legs, which accentuated their slimness. Other photos of the model within the same product listing showed her in different positions and from different angles, and she did not appear to be unhealthily thin in these additional images, the ASA said.

The watchdog said: “Because the pose, camera angle and styling in the ad investigated strongly emphasised the slimness of the model’s legs, we considered that the ad gave the impression that the model was unhealthily thin. “For the above reasons, we concluded that the ad was irresponsible.”. The ASA ruled that the ad must not appear again in its current form, adding: “We told Next to ensure that the images in their ads were prepared responsibly and did not portray models as being unhealthily thin.”.