Campaigns with plus-size models - Marketing gimmick or mind-set shift?

H&M's Beachwear Homepage with Jennie Runk

A recent campaign by Swedish retailer H&M became centre of attraction for fashion industry as well as consumers alike. It was for the first time that the retailer chose to represent its collection of Beachwear through Jennie Runk. There were two peculiarities in this campaign – Jennie Runk is a plus-size model and; the section is not called “Plus-size Beachwear” but only “Beachwear”, a brave digression from all such previous attempts by any other organization.

This can be a small aberration for some while for others it can be seen as a much needed refreshing change in the modelling industry where starved and wafer-thin models have managed to achieve prominence  over natural and original models with fuller and normal figures, which the industry choose to call plus-size models. Let me reiterate though, that being thin is not bad but what these models have to go through to be thin and what they end up representing by being size 0 or 00 is dangerous for themselves and for the ones who end up idolizing them.

Ralph Lauren campaign featuring Robyn Lawley

A lot of people dubbed the H&M’s move refreshing by calling it a welcome change in industry while many doubted its inherent motive as being purely a marketing tactic, not for the beachwear promotion but to come out as an ethical and moral brand, promoting what is right for the society and its consumers.

The campaign for H&M featuring plus-size model was definitely not the first time such a theme was promoted.  Ralph Lauren chose Australian model Robyn Lawley as its first ever plus-size model, but there was a difference between the two campaigns. Unlike Ralph Lauren, which went all-out announcing its “ethical” move to appoint a plus-size model to show case Ralph Lauren apparels, H&M went quiet and even refrained from mentioning the model as a plus-size model or the beachwear as plus-size beachwear. But not to forget, the same retailer came under scrutiny for its campaign where they used virtually designed body-parts and added real women’s heads to the ads to showcase its apparel line. Not so moral there!

Elle coverpage featuring plus-size model

A plus-size model leading the pack at  a runway for Mark Fest

Another welcome move came recently when three models were banned from a fashion show in Spain for being "too thin". The show in Cibeles bans models with a Body Mass index of less than 18, suggesting anything below this is an unhealthy vision to set upon young teenage girls. Vogue, first time ever in 2011had plus-sized models on its cover page while Elle, very recently in May,2013 adorned its cover page with a plus size model.

So can we assume that the plus-size modelling has arrived at the centre-stage of big brands and the above milestones represents a generic shift in the mindset of fashion and modelling industry alike? Unfortunately, No.

H&M's head-off campaign that was condemned for its 'fake' nature

A detailed observation into these milestones will suggest that more often than not these events were marketing tactics and by no means suggested an overall change in the outlook of the industry.

The H&M campaign was more of a damage control exercise for its head-off campaign disaster. The navigation through the beachwear finally leads the user to plus-size section(!). Finally, the page was taken off after few days from its website, when enough buzz was generated for the campaign. No points of guessing, the inherent motive was not to 

be all moral and put across a message, it was to be heard, known and talked about.

Vogue coverpage with three plus-size models

The vogue and elle magazines attached a slight amount of pun to the cover pages with plus-size models with taglines like “Thigs is the limit”, "booty-ful" models with "full-siz
e fannies” etc. These taglines then made rounds with further jokes and puns on the models, though earned great amount of spotlight for the magazines which was evident from the number of copies sold and inquiries, feedbacks and comments received.

Inspite of all the noise made by industry stalwarts about bringing in more original and natural models, models being fired for gaining weight is a regular phenomena and not much is being done by any party to ensure that the so called mind-set shift is actually implemented. Hence, the whole out-cry for change lacks moral intent and appears to be more of propaganda by the industry to gain mass-acceptance among society and its consumers for being a responsible industry.

Despite the public opinion condemning the use of "size 0" models, fashion gurus still give the girls the go ahead to walk at their shows. Guidelines set down last year advise the industry to go against using mega-thin girls. They claim that the brands are supposed to create an aspirational value for themselves and must also be able to suggest to consumers a better version of himself/herself when he/she acquire these brands.

There is another interesting aspect to the story. In March when H&M started to use size 12 mannequins in its store there were some critics which complained that such a move is promoting obesity among people.

With the arguments placed by the industry in favour and against of plus-size models at different occasions and sometimes by actions, it is clear that at the end of the day it’s the consumer which over-rides the decisions like these. Acceptance of the plus-size models and abandoning those who themselves undergo a torturous process and propagates the false imagination of “a perfect woman” through size 0 among consumers should be the first step in the direction.

As a new British study suggests that the cultural obsession with slim female figures could be overturned if advertising flaunted fuller-sized models, which in-turn are accepted and appreciated by the consumers. Industry must also rise above the petty marketing gimmicks to gain points for the campaign and instead place their belief in such ideology which is not just ‘right’ but also financially rewarding for them.

 Cheers,