Feeling good in your skin isn’t the same as promoting a severely underweight frame and calling it a “healthy, toned physique.” In recent campaigns, Zara, Next, and M&S crossed that line. The 2025 M&S ad emphasised the model’s pointed shoes to draw attention to her thin legs, while Zara showcased a drawn, hollow face — a look that pushes unhealthy thinness as a criterion for style.

In 2025, the ASA banned a Marks & Spencer ad for portraying what it called an “unhealthily thin” model. On paper, it was a simple clothing shot. In practice, it was a visual gamble — and the regulator ruled that gamble crossed the line.