Diesel clothing advert banned for objectifying Katie Price

By Josie Clarke, PA Consumer Affairs Correspondent

An ad for clothing brand Diesel featuring the model Katie Price was irresponsible and likely to cause serious offence by objectifying and sexualising women, a watchdog has ruled.

The ad, which appeared on the Guardian news website on March 26th, included an image of Price wearing a bikini and holding a handbag in front of her chest.

The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received 13 complaints that the ad objectified and sexualised women and featured a model who appeared to be unhealthily thin.

Diesel said the ad was part of a brand campaign called ‘The Houseguests’, which was designed to challenge stereotypes and support diversity and inclusion in the fashion industry by reflecting a wide range of body types.

It believed the ad was compliant with the advertising rules but said it removed the ad from the Guardian website.

The brand said Price was 46 years old and had a body type that was not usually included in high fashion campaigns, explaining that the average age for editorial models was between 16 and 23.

Diesel believed the image was a “celebration of Ms Price’s sexuality and empowerment and was not objectifying, degrading or sexualising”, and “showed Ms Price clearly in control in an active and dynamic pose where she proudly showed off her body and the handbag”.

Diesel added that Price was “well-known for her exaggerated appearance and larger-than-life personality and her large lips and breasts formed part of her curated public image”, and this “exaggerated, eccentric and altered appearance” formed part of the creativity of the campaign.

Finally, Diesel said although Price was slender, she had excellent muscle tone and was not unhealthily underweight.

The Guardian said it received a complaint directly about the ad on April 4th and blocked it from appearing again because it did not consider it complied with their policies.

Partly upholding the complaints, the ASA said the bikini only partially covered Price’s breasts, and it considered the positioning of the handbag, in front of her stomach with the handle framing her chest, drew viewers’ attention to, and emphasised, that part of her body.

The ASA said: “While we acknowledged that Ms Price was shown in a confident and self-assured pose and in control, we considered that because of the positioning of the handbag, which had the effect of emphasising and drawing attention to her breasts, the ad sexualised her in a way that objectified her.

“We therefore considered the ad was likely to cause serious offence, was irresponsible and breached the Code.”

The ASA did not uphold complaints about Price appearing to be unhealthily thin, and concluded that the ad was not irresponsible on that basis.

The watchdog ruled that the ad must not appear again, adding: “We told Diesel to ensure their future ads were socially responsible and did not cause serious or widespread offence.”

Diesel said: “Diesel’s latest Houseguests campaign continues its tradition of challenging norms and embracing individuality. A key image features model Katie Price, 46, showcasing a body type rarely seen in high fashion, proving that women of all shapes and ages deserve representation. The photo celebrates confidence and empowerment without objectification.

“Shared in over 100 countries, it has not received any regulatory complaints, highlighting Diesel’s commitment to respectful, inclusive storytelling.”