Kirsty Mckenzie
A new ‘Back to School’ advert from El Corte Inglés featuring a child ‘hanging’ above a chair as sparked uproar on social media.
The advert, for the major Spanish department store, has come under fire for using the shocking image to promote children’s school uniforms.
Controversy over the ad has lead to the store’s name to trend on Twitter, with social media users calling out the graphic nature of the picture.
The visual shows a child in knee high socks and school shoes seemingly ‘hanging’ above a chair in the horror image that critics say has links to suicide.
Another picture in the 2020 campaign of this 2020 sees several children pulling a rope.
“The worst thing about the El Corte Inglés campaign is not that it can be misinterpreted; is that it can only be interpreted in one way, ” one user said.
A second wrote: “Has no creator or manager realized how terrifying the new El Corte Inglés campaign is ? Seeing it gives chills.”
“Is it that not a single person with decision-making capacity in the advertising process of El Corte Inglés was able to see that this photo could still be misinterpreted,” said a third.
Another commented: “Seriously and without bad vibes, what was the intention, can you ask the creatives? It’s pure curiosity, thank you.”
The image can no longer be viewed on the El Corte Inglés website.
