An advertisement from British fashion brand Jigsaw has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for allegedly objectifying women, a decision that has sparked debate about the boundaries of advertising regulation. The black-and-white image, part of the Autumn/Winter Into The Woods campaign, shows a woman in the Berkshire countryside climbing over a stile, wearing hiking boots, a sweater, and a brief swimsuit. The ASA ruled that the depiction was irresponsible and could cause serious offence, noting that 'she appeared to be out for a hike or walk in the woods where people would not ordinarily be undressed in that way'.
The campaign was conceived by Jigsaw's Creative Director Joanna Sykes, who has a strong track record in women's fashion, and photographed by Sarah Blais, winner of the 2019 British Journal of Photography's Female in Focus award. The image was captioned 'These boots were made for walking', a reference to the Nancy Sinatra song about female empowerment. Jigsaw described the campaign as exploring 'the relationship with our bodies both inside and out, through the art of dressing and undress, revelling in freedom and self expression'.
Critics argue that the ban is excessive, given that only two complaints were lodged against the image. Former Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman commented that she did not find the image voyeuristic or offensive. The decision has raised concerns about a trend towards sanitising culture, with some suggesting that advertising is being held to an unrealistic standard of reportage rather than creativity.
