Max Mara advertisement found to be irresponsible by the ASA (5 May 2021)

The ASA has ruled that an advertisement by Max Mara was in breach of the CAP Code on the basis that it promoted unrealistic body standards. The advertisement appeared in The Sunday Times Style Magazine and featured a female model wearing a long black dress with boots. Max Mara denied that the model was unhealthily underweight. However, the ASA disagreed. It concluded that the marketing communication was irresponsible, in particular because various elements of the advertisement including the model’s pose, facial expression and background lighting, were designed to emphasise her thin frame.