H&M has come under fire on social media for a school uniform campaign in Australia that many deemed inappropriate and accused of “sexualising children.” The controversial ad featured two primary school-aged girls in pinafore dresses, accompanied by the caption: “Make those heads turn in H&M’s Back to School fashion.”
Outraged users took to social media to express their concerns and criticism. One user stated, “What the hell is going on? This is sickening, sexualising kids,” while another labelled the ad as “revolting” and demanded its removal, urging an investigation into how it received approval.
Amid the backlash, a user emphasized the need for responsible advertising, especially involving children, saying, “It’s disheartening to hear about the H&M Australia Back to School ad causing outrage among parents. The caption used in the ad seems highly inappropriate and insensitive. Brands should prioritize responsible advertising.”
Expressing the sentiment of many, another user pointed out the tone-deaf nature of the campaign, stating, “It’s pretty tone-deaf to use the phrase ‘Make those heads turn’ with images of young girls in school uniforms. It feels like they missed the mark on what’s appropriate for a back-to-school campaign.”
In response to the criticism, H&M issued an apology, acknowledging the offence caused by the ad and promising to investigate how they present campaigns in the future.
The statement read, “We are deeply sorry for the offence this has caused and will look into how we present campaigns going forward.”
