In 2018, diversity and representation is one of the biggest talking points when it comes to advertising. But it appears that some brands still haven't quite got the message, as US brand Solid & Striped just proved with their latest ad campaign.
The brand shared a snap of their '#swimteam2018' and Instagram commenters were quick to point out the lack of diversity between the thirteen high profile models selected.
'All I can focus on is the glaring lack of representation of women. What a statement it would have been for different tones, ethnicities and races to have been included. It really isn't hard to find good models from all demographics these days.'
'This brand is cancelled'
'Simply stated this advertisement appeals to the <1% (tall, skinny, white, female and having won the genetic lottery).'
'Oh wow, I'm assuming the only available model of colour was Jourdan?'
'Do better'
'At first I thought this was a parody or something. This is pretty gross. How un self-aware can a creative and marketing team be?'
The campaign includes which includes models Lily Aldridge and Jourdan Dunn not only has a lack of different body shapes but as many of the comments pointed out, Jourdan Dunn is the only black woman (out of 13) on the shoot.
With plus-size models Ashley Graham and Gabi Gregg making waves with their all inclusive swimwear campaigns, it's about time that other brands stepped it up.
We reached out to Solid and Striped who provided the below statement from their CEO and founder, Isaac Ross.
'I would like to start by saying how humbled I am to have worked with every one of the 2018 Swim Team members. They are inspiring designers and collaborators and I am so proud that Solid & Striped was able to provide them a platform to showcase their individuality.
'Swim Team was and will continue to be a design collaboration, not a campaign. Each woman spent significant time in our studio throughout the entire creative process. The collection they designed was compelling and the response to the product so far has been overwhelmingly positive. As a brand, our intention has always been to empower women.
'18 months ago, I came up with the idea of a swim team. The concept was to collaborate with a group of models who could each design her own bathing suit for the brand. It felt like a great way to get some new perspectives and challenge the traditional model/brand relationship. Our intention was to give an empowering, fun, creative outlet to a group of women who we as a brand are inspired by.
'When I embarked on this project we reached out to a broad and diverse pool of talent. The women with whom we collaborated had a genuine interest in taking time out of their schedules to be a part of the team. The intention was never to exclude anyone. I'm genuinely sorry Swim Team failed to represent a more diverse group of women. I acknowledge the problem and we will do better.'
