PJ brand hit with ASA ad ban for sexually objectifying women

A paid Instagram ad from Stripe & Stare has been banned by the advertising watchdog for presenting the model as a “stereotypical sexual object”.

The ad for a set of pink ‘marshmallow dye’ pajamas featured a model with her top unbuttoned and her arms raised with her hands on her face.

The complainant challenged whether the ad sexualized the model and whether the ad portrayed someone under 18 in a sexual way.

Stripe & Stare denied the ad sexualized underage girls and added that the model was 27 years old and her breasts were not shown. The retailer rebuffed the claim that the pose was childish and said it was supposed to be a “fun and light-hearted image” that represented its brand.

While the ASA agreed with Stripe & Stare that the ad didn’t sexualize underage women, it did deem the image to sexualize women. “The unbuttoned top and her pose with arms in the air meant that model’s naked chest and torso were visible and prominent. The unbuttoned top was not the way the garment would usually be worn, and it was not necessary to expose the model’s body to advertise the product,” the ASA’s ruling claimed.

The ASA previously upheld a complaint over a “sexually suggestive” Boohoo bikini ad which, like the Stripe & Stare case, was ruled against for showing the product in a way it wouldn’t typically be worn. The ruling also bares a resemblance to a Pretty Little Things ad ban where the model had her jeans unbuttoned and her underwear on show.