Sainsbury’s pulls controversial park walk ad after women complain
Sainsbury’s has pulled an ad claiming its clothing is perfect ‘for walks in the park or strolls after dark’ after some women voiced concerns it didn’t reflect their safety realities.
This ad is now being removed from stores / Clare Johnson
Last week, UK supermarket chain Sainsbury’s came under fire for an in-store ad that many people felt ignored women’s safety. Many Twitter users were quick to chime in, pointing out that it can be unsafe for women to walk alone at nighttime. Creative director Natalie Gordon was one of the many people calling out the supermarket, with a post that has now been viewed over 2m times.
Comments on the thread ranged from “what number of people does this get passed by to get this far? Unbelievable” to “I assume she’s wearing trainers and carrying her keys between her fingers.”
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson apologized, stating: “We are sorry that due to the design, some customers found this sign to be inappropriate and are working to remove these from the store. We will work hard with our agency partner to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
It’s not the first time a campaign has been criticized for this line, with Samsung coming under the cosh for suggesting 2 am night runs in 2022.