Zara faces backlash over its ad campaign on social media; users equate images used to map of Palestine

Global fashion brand Zara on Sunday faced backlash for its latest ad-campaign showing its newest collection, featuring model Kristen McMenamy. Some of the social media users stated that the ad-campaign showed the plywood boards arranged in the shape of a map similar to Palestine. Zara later deleted the post but has not made any official statement.

Hyderabad: Global fashion brand Zara on Sunday faced backlash for its latest ad-campaign showing its newest collection, featuring model Kristen McMenamy. The ad campaign shows the model with a mannequin covered with a white cloth and several users are comparing with the dead bodies in Israel and Palestine.

The other images of the ad campaign also showed Kristen McMenamy inside a wooden box and this has sparked an outrage among social media users. Some of the social media users also stated that the ad-campaign showed the plywood boards arranged in the shape of a map similar to Palestine.

A user on X, identified as Iqra posted, "I usually don’t post such pictures but after seeing this I couldn't stop myself from protesting. How such a big brand do this for publicity stunt for advertisement , this is against the humanity. No humanity left in these scumbags. #BoycottZara (sic)."

Another X user identified as Mohammed Zain posted, "Marketing over a #genocide. New low. Our pain isn’t for sale. Shame on you @ZARA. #BoycottZara (sic)."

X user Tom posted, "It's truly heartbreaking how the recent photoshoot of Zara is disgracing the people of Gaza. They're brutally slaughtering the innocent souls and now mocking them?? Pathetic. #BoycottZara" (sic).

As the outrage grew, Zara deleted its post, however the company has yet not issued any formal statement. Over 17,700 people, majority of whom are women and children, have been killed by Israel in Gaza since the October 7 attack by Hamas militants in which 1200 people, comprising Israel Armed Forces personnel, were killed.