Yahoo Lifestyle American Apparel Schoolgirl Ads Banned In UK
Images featuring a young woman bending over in a short skirt, posted on the brand's website and on Instagram, have been banned in the UK after being deemed "offensive" and "irresponsible", The Guardian reports.
The images, which mimic "upskirt" photographs (in which the image is taken without the subject's consent) were part of American Apparel's Back to School campaign, which was launched earlier this month bearing the slogan "Your first assignment is to dress accordingly."
The offending image posted by American Apparel.
The UK's advertising watchdog - the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) - has concluded that "the images were gratuitous and objectified women, and were therefore sexist and likely to cause serious and widespread offence".
Though the retailer had withdrawn the images prior to the ASA contacting them, the body said they were: "Nonetheless concerned that the images had appeared in their advertising at all."
The retail giant has said the images were "posted by a junior and relatively inexperienced member of their social media team".
This is the sixth American Apparel ad in the past two and half years that has been banned in the UK.
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