H&M pulls down a controversial ad after claims of 'sexualising kids'

H&M, the Swedish fashion giant, has withdrawn a controversial advertisement for school uniforms following accusations of sexualizing young children with a 'highly inappropriate' caption. The ad featured an image of two primary school-aged girls in pinafore dresses with the caption: 'Make those heads turn in H&M’s Back to School fashion'. 

Social media users strongly criticized the ad, with one person exclaiming, "What the hell is going on? This is sickening, sexualizing kids." Some even demanded the ad's removal and an investigation into its approval process.

In light of the substantial social media backlash, where users voiced concerns and labelled the ad as 'H&M sexualizing children' and 'inappropriate,' the retailer removed the ad and issued an apology. Addressing the criticism, H&M expressed regret, stating, “We are deeply sorry for the offence this has caused and will look into how we present campaigns going forward.”