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Travel magazine ad banned for photo of ‘unhealthily thin’ model
Publishers of the prestigious Conde Nast Traveller Magazine have been told not to repeat an advert after a reader complained that the photo of a model on a beach looked ‘unhealthily thin’.
Reporting the advert for the travel mag, which appeared in Glamour Magazine on June 22, the reader challenged whether the ad was ‘socially irresponsible’.
Upholding their complaint, the Advertising Standards Authority said that ‘while the model appeared to be in proportion, the angle of the image drew attention to her slimness, particularly her legs which looked very long and thin’.
"We also noted that she was part way through twisting and that the outline of her body could be seen through her top, emphasising the narrowness of her waist," said the ASA.
"We acknowledged that the ad was for a travel magazine and that its focus was not supposed to be on the model or her clothes; however, we considered that the model was the focal point of the image, therefore we concluded that the ad made the model look unhealthily thin and that the ad was irresponsible."
Conde Nast Traveller Magazine said that particular image was chosen ‘as it evoked a mood of escapism, with the model shown stretching towards the sun’.
"The model was very tall and slim but was not posed for the shot as it was caught in a moment between other shots," it said.
They acknowledged that the model’s stance accentuated her height and slender legs, but said that there were no protruding bones and that the model was naturally slim and in proportion.
Additionally, they said that the clothes in the shoot were not worn to accentuate or hide the model’s body and that the image ‘reflected a joyful holiday moment which celebrated being on the beach, by the sea and in the sunshine’.
Glamour Magazine said that they took the comments made by the complainant on board and would take care when reviewing ad choices in the future.
Banning the ad, the ASA told Conde Nast Publications to ensure that in the future their ads were prepared ‘responsibly’.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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