In most every major mall in Canada, the clothing brand Garage has been doling out fast fashion to stylish teens and tweens for decades.
Though the Montreal-based retailer is still well-known among young women today, a new controversial social media rebrand has triggered questions about who exactly the store is trying to market to.
On July 15, Garage (owned by Groupe Dynamite) wiped its social media pages clean and uploaded posts for the brand’s new denim campaign. In the ad, several oiled-up women model the jeans while they undress, removing their tops and bottoms as they gyrate over a bass tune.
The ad was instantly met with backlash from shoppers online who said the campaign is oversexualized, not size-inclusive and potentially dangerous to young consumers. On the brand’s Instagram page, almost every post — of which there are over a dozen — is flooded with critical comments calling for the campaign to end.
Many commenters complained the sexually suggestive nature of the ad was unfit for young consumers, though the average age of Garage shoppers is not entirely clear.
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In a statement to Global News, Garage said the new campaign is intended for its consumer base of “aged-up” women in their “mid-twenties.”
A spokesperson called the campaign “empowering” and said Garage is “proud” of the marketing material.
“Garage consistently spends time listening to our consumers as a way to innovate while delivering an emotional connection to the brand and the product that resonates with her,” the statement reads. “We are overjoyed to be a brand that has the rare privilege of serving a second generation of loyal brand advocates across Canada. As our customer has evolved, so have we.”
“Today our consumer is an aged-up, unapologetic fashion shopper in her mid-twenties,” the brand continued. “This campaign is all about the celebration of empowering women to own their femininity as their most confident selves, while showcasing our best-selling and customer-favorite denim styles. We are proud of this campaign, which was shot with an all-female cast, photographer, and production team from diverse backgrounds.”
Regardless, social media users have continued to condemn and poke fun at the popular brand, calling the denim campaign “disgusting, unnecessary and unprofessional.”
“You’d think at this point, after the hundreds of women providing feedback on every single post, they’d make some positive changes,” one commenter wrote, adding that the store should be mindful of any minors who shop there, regardless of whom the brand intends to reach. “We want to be seen for more than our bodies, yet, you decide now you want to add to the problem? Reminder! You are selling CLOTHING, not women & bodies.”
A different follower lamented, “This is awful. Also don’t see any models with different body types. Are we back at the 90s?”
“Garage? More like GarBAge,” quipped another.
The conversation has continued on other social media platforms, including TikTok, where one-time Garage fans called the campaign “misguided and misplaced.”
Some online speculated Garage has seemingly lost touch with its audience but is attempting to draw women back to the brand again.
According to the Canadian Women’s Foundation, research suggests exposure to sexualized images and messages can lead to shame, body dissatisfaction, disordered eating, depression, trauma symptoms and low self-esteem among girls.
“Exposure to sexualized images can have the consequence of self-sexualization, leading girls to value their appearance over their other characteristics, view themselves as an object for other’s desires, and ignore their own wants and desires,” the organization claims.
It’s also well-known that social media in general can have negative impacts on self-confidence in young girls and can lead to insecurity as they develop appearance concerns and compare themselves with other women.
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