An ad from fast fashion retailer Boohoo got banned for promoting skin-toned clothes with the strapline 'send nudes'

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An ad from fast fashion retailer Boohoo got banned for promoting skin-toned clothes with the strapline 'send nudes'

Boohoo nudes ad

Boohoo

The complainant challenged whether the reference to "send nudes" was socially irresponsible.

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  • An ad from fast fashion retailer Boohoo was banned in the UK on Wednesday after it was found to be "socially irresponsible" by Britain's advertising regulator.
  • The ad featured imagery of skin-coloured clothing with the text "Send Nudes" overlayed on the image.
  • In their ruling the Advertising Standards Authority said that the play on words ("send nudes" is internet slang used to request naked photos) could be understood as "a form of sexual harassment."
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

An ad for skin-coloured clothing from fast fashion retailer Boohoo has been banned in the UK by the Advertising Standards Authority for using the strapline "send nudes."

The ad was sent out in a July marketing email from Boohoo, and featured the email subject heading "Send Nudes [eyes emoji]," according to a statement from the ASA.

The model featured in the ad wears a beige jacket with the text "Send Nudes. Set the tone with new season hues" written across the image.

Read more: Clothing brand Boohoo appeared to quietly start using un-Photoshopped images of their models-and the internet is thrilled.

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Boohoo nudes ad ASA

Boohoo

The complainant challenged whether the reference to "send nudes" was socially irresponsible.

The ASA, the body responsible for monitoring and regulating advertisements in the UK, received a complaint that the text "send nudes" was "socially irresponsible," the ASA's statement said.

In response, Boohoo claimed that they only meant "nudes" to refer to the color of the clothes, and said that was "apparent from the body of the email," according to the ASA website.

The ASA countered that the words "send nudes" would be understood to have a sexual meaning as well as referring to clothes. It described the phrase as a request for "sexual photos, which could be a form of sexual harassment."

Read more: Online retailer Boohoo smashed expectations and now shares are surging.

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"In the context of an ad aimed at a relatively young audience who were more likely to be harmfully affected by pressure to share sexual images of themselves, we considered that the reference to 'send nudes' was socially irresponsible," said the ASA.

As a result the ad must now not appear again.

A Boohoo spokeswoman told Business Insider that the company will ensure its advertising is "socially responsible."

The UK-owned fast fashion brand has received praise in the past for ending the use of Photoshop in images of their models and including plus-sized women on their site. It is often criticised for fuelling high street fashion's throwaway culture.

Read more: Nadia Aboulhosn is the plus-sized fashion blogger who rescued Boohoo and helped grow its revenues 27%.

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