Using an anorexic model for commercial purposes – good or bad?

A controversial ad campaign featuring a 31 kg (68-pound) anorexic woman has been launched in Italy to coincide with Milan Fashion Week. The photos feature Isabelle Caro, a 27-year-old French actress and model. The images, which have been placed in newspapers and on billboards, are being used to advertise clothing brand Nolita.

The aim, according to the company, was “to use that naked body to show everyone the reality of this illness, caused in most cases by the stereotypes imposed by the world of fashion.”

Not everybody thinks it’s a good idea. One expert believes it won’t have the right effect on girls suffering from the illness. “They could feel envious of the anorexic model photographed in an ad and think that they too can get thinner. Done this way, this campaign has no sense,” she said.

It’s unlikely the ads will appear in French media. The French advertising watchdog BVP admits it can’t forbid publication, but strongly opposes it. “It’s not recommended to show a person on posters who is seriously suffering from an illness“, they say.

Miss Caro (shown left) has her own blog, but remains silent about the affair. As a matter of fact, she hasn’t updated her blog since 11 June. Too sick to write?

Shock poster to stop girls dieting to death
Anorexia campaign angers experts