In an age where body image is plummeting and society’s emphasis on appearance is skyrocketing Diesel, a clothing brand, has taken a huge step in a positive direction. Most major ad campaigns focus on an unrealistic image of beauty. Young girls are flooded with images of size zero models with flawless skin and perfect bodies. Somehow these images are intended to persuade viewers to buy the products being advertised despite the unrealistic and sometimes harmful advertising. Take for example Urban Outfitters, a popular retailer that just got a lot of backlash after the release of t-shirt that simply stated ‘eat less.’ What kind of message is that sending to viewers?
Diesel is being praised for their most recent ad campaign showing a male model posing with blogger Jillian Mercado, who must use a wheelchair because she suffers from spastic muscular dystrophy. A daring move by the clothing brand to show that anyone can wear their clothes. Mercado raves about the photos stating, “Every photo that they release, someone can relate to it. And that’s rare in the fashion industry, to be able to relate and say, ‘You know that’s me in that photo, through that person.”
Other companies are following in Diesel’s footsteps. The popular brand Aerie recently released a campaign for their bras and underwear with completely untouched photos of their models. They keep their stretch marks, tattoos, and true figures for advertising that truly conveys a real image that viewers can relate to. If the fashion industry can keep this up young girls and guys can look at images in the media with positive outlooks.