- H&M has scrapped a school uniform advert in Australia after complaints that it sexualized children.
- The advert of two young girls was accompanied by text saying they could "make those heads turn."
- People on social media called the ad "creepy" and "disturbing."
Swedish fast-fashion retailer H&M has pulled a school uniform advert in Australia after being widely accused of sexualizing children.
The advert shows two young girls in matching white shirts, dark gray pinafores, and pink rucksacks on board what appears to be a pink school bus. Text accompanying the advert, which appeared as sponsored posts on social media, read "Make those heads turn in H&M's Back to School fashion."
"What is your intention with this sponsored Facebook ad? Little schoolgirls generally don't want to 'turn heads,'" author and speaker Melinda Tankard Reist posted on X. "Why would you want to fuel the idea that little girls should draw attention to their looks, bodies and 'style'?"
Users on X suggested that the girls' legs had been oiled for the photo and pointed out their sideways look at the camera. People criticized the way H&M portrayed young girls in school uniform, calling the ad "creepy" and "disturbing."
"Having been stalked in school uniform and developed fear of any public space for months afterwards I know how real dangers are," one person wrote.
H&M said that the ad had been removed. "We are deeply sorry for the offense this has caused and will look into how we present campaigns going forward," it said in a post on X.