Garage clothing rebrand draws backlash over racy ad: ‘More like GarBage’

In astir each awesome promenade successful Canada, nan clothing marque Garage has been doling retired fast fashion to stylish teens and tweens for decades.

Though nan Montreal-based retailer is still well-known among young women today, a caller arguable societal media rebrand has triggered questions astir who precisely nan shop is trying to marketplace to.

On July 15, Garage (owned by Groupe Dynamite) wiped its societal media pages cleanable and uploaded posts for nan brand’s new denim campaign. In nan ad, respective oiled-up women exemplary nan jeans while they undress, removing their tops and bottoms arsenic they gyrate complete a bass tune.

The advertisement was instantly met pinch backlash from shoppers online who said nan run is oversexualized, not size-inclusive and perchance vulnerable to young consumers. On nan brand’s Instagram page, almost each station — of which location are complete a twelve — is flooded pinch captious comments calling for nan run to end.

Many commenters complained nan sexually suggestive quality of nan advertisement was unfit for young consumers, though nan mean property of Garage shoppers is not wholly clear.

In a connection to Global News, Garage said nan caller run is intended for its user guidelines of “aged-up” women successful their “mid-twenties.”

A spokesperson called nan run “empowering” and said Garage is “proud” of nan trading material.

“Garage consistently spends clip listening to our consumers arsenic a measurement to innovate while delivering an affectional relationship to nan marque and nan merchandise that resonates pinch her,” nan connection reads. “We are overjoyed to beryllium a marque that has nan uncommon privilege of serving a 2nd procreation of loyal marque advocates crossed Canada. As our customer has evolved, truthful person we.”

“Today our user is an aged-up, unapologetic manner shopper successful her mid-twenties,” nan marque continued. “This run is each astir nan ceremony of empowering women to ain their femininity arsenic their astir assured selves, while showcasing our best-selling and customer-favorite denim styles. We are proud of this campaign, which was changeable pinch an all-female cast, photographer, and accumulation squad from divers backgrounds.”

Regardless, societal media users person continued to condemn and flick nosy astatine nan celebrated brand, calling nan denim run “disgusting, unnecessary and unprofessional.”

“You’d deliberation astatine this point, aft nan hundreds of women providing feedback connected each azygous post, they’d make immoderate affirmative changes,” 1 commenter wrote, adding that nan shop should beryllium mindful of immoderate minors who shop there, sloppy of whom nan marque intends to reach. “We want to beryllium seen for much than our bodies, yet, you determine now you want to adhd to nan problem? Reminder! You are trading CLOTHING, not women & bodies.”

A different follower lamented, “This is awful. Also don’t spot immoderate models pinch different assemblage types. Are we backmost astatine nan 90s?”

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“Garage? More for illustration GarBAge,” quipped another.

The speech has continued connected different societal media platforms, including TikTok, wherever one-time Garage fans called nan run “misguided and misplaced.”

Some online speculated Garage has seemingly mislaid touch pinch its assemblage but is attempting to tie women backmost to nan marque again.

According to nan Canadian Women’s Foundation, investigation suggests exposure to sexualized images and messages tin lead to shame, assemblage dissatisfaction, disordered eating, depression, trauma symptoms and debased self-esteem among girls.

“Exposure to sexualized images tin person nan consequence of self-sexualization, starring girls to worth their quality complete their different characteristics, position themselves arsenic an entity for other’s desires, and disregard their ain wants and desires,” nan statement claims.

It’s besides well-known that societal media successful wide tin person negative impacts connected self-confidence successful young girls and tin lead to insecurity arsenic they create quality concerns and comparison themselves pinch different women.