Fashion brand Jaded has ad banned for glamourising smoking
The UK advertising watchdog has banned a marketing email from fashion label Jaded London featuring a model holding a cigarette in a holiday setting.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Jaded London had a marketing email banned over a smoking image
- The ASA ruled the advert glamorised smoking in an attractive way
- The fashion brand agreed to avoid using models holding cigarettes
The fashion industry is facing fresh scrutiny after advertising watchdogs clamped down on a major clothing label over marketing material deemed to promote unhealthy habits. Jaded London, whose trendy designs have famously been worn by global icons such as Beyoncé and Kylie Jenner, found itself in hot water when the Advertising Standards Authority banned one of its promotional emails sent out on May 27 following a public complaint.
According to the regulatory body, the contested advertisement featured a heavily stylised photograph designed to project an aspirational holiday lifestyle. The model was captured wearing fashionable clothing and accessories while standing in front of a scooter near a body of water. Close inspection of the frame revealed she was holding a slim cigarette with visible ash at the tip, prompting investigators to conclude that the visual presentation made smoking appear appealing and attractive rather than deterrent.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Regulatory bodies like the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) maintain strict guidelines to ensure that marketing communications, particularly those reaching young demographics through digital channels, do not normalise or encourage tobacco use. By cracking down on aesthetic choices that subtly link smoking with desirable lifestyles and fashion, watchdogs aim to curb the romanticisation of harmful habits among impressionable audiences, setting a clear precedent for lifestyle and apparel brands.
In its defence, Jaded London argued that the cigarette was not intended to be the primary focus of the advertisement. Nevertheless, the company acknowledged the regulatory concerns and officially agreed to refrain from using photographs of models holding cigarettes in future marketing campaigns, stating they understood why avoiding such imagery is the best course of action.
Established in 2013 by siblings Jade Camber and Grant Goulden, Jaded London has built a massive following of 1.5 million users on Instagram and secured retail space in prominent department stores including Selfridges and Urban Outfitters, pulling in £51m in sales for the year leading up to June 2025. Despite their compliance regarding the banned email, independent checks of the brand's Instagram feed at the time of reporting revealed other pictures containing similar smoking themes, though an ASA spokesperson noted that those posts could not be officially judged without going through a formal investigation process.
Source: BBC Business
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