This advertisement, for the ironically named "Drop Dead" clothing brand of Britain, was banned in the UK for showing underweight models and encouraging unhealthy standards. Being that the brand targets a young audience, the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) felt that the ad would promote anorexia. When asked why the ad was banned they released an official statement, "In the bikini images her hip, rib and collar bones were highly visible. We also noted that in the bikini and denim shorts images, hollows in her thighs were noticeable and she had prominent thigh bones. We considered that in combination with the stretched out pose and heavy eye makeup, the model looked underweight in the pictures."
Advertisements such as this are constantly referred to as a leading cause for the development of eating disorders in today's society. People both young and old look to movies, magazines, television and advertisements to set a social standard of beauty. Often they compare themselves to these unrealistic portrayals of men and women, and their self esteem is damaged when they fall short.
The advertisement uses nudity to attract men and shocking body shape to attract women. While men may find this ad sexually appealing, it specifically targets young women, as the woman shown is a young female wearing a "stylish" bathing suit. Wearing a bathing suit is a situation where women of all ages tend to feel extremely vulnerable. This ad both enforces that vulnerability by creating a "standard" for body size and creates the illusion that wearing this brand of clothing, and more specifically this bathing suit, will cause the viewer to magically have this body. Unlike many other fashion ads, the model's face is not the focus of the photo. Her hair and makeup do not stand out in any way, and the center of the photograph focuses on her very prominent rib cage. The ad appeals to the viewer's emotion and desire to look and be like this model, who unfortunately sets an unrealistic standard for what it means to be beautiful.
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