Children's photos in the advertising of the Ukrainian brand Onebyone sparked a storm of indignation: company response

Advertising scandal around Onebyone

According to Главком: The Ukrainian women's clothing manufacturer Onebyone found itself at the center of controversy due to photos of a dress, where a model is captured with her son. Users of the social network Threads harshly criticized these shots, calling them inappropriate and sexualized. In response, the company explained that everything excessive for the child was concealed, and the father of the boy was responsible for the photo.

In the controversial images, the girl poses in a long dress with a high slit on the leg, while her son is nearby. The caption to the publication read: 'Mom's inspector'. The audience was outraged with questions like: 'Excuse me, what exactly is he inspecting of mom?' and 'It feels awkward to think that this is actually a mom with her son, not just models for advertising'.

Brand and public reaction

Representatives of Onebyone tried to ease the situation, stating:

'Regarding the joint post that confused part of the people yesterday. Everyone who wrote that the dress does not expose anything excessive for the child is correct. We regret that we had to discuss this, but we trust the heroine, know the cut of our products, and her family. Everything excessive for the child is concealed in the frame.'

However, users continued to doubt: 'What is supposedly concealed looks not concealed at all. The photos are explicit and inappropriate' and 'Absolutely unacceptable sexualized content involving children'.

After the wave of criticism, all the discussed shots disappeared from the model's and the brand's pages. The company added: 'We explained the situation as best as we could. Please, do not continue the stream of accusations towards the heroine and her son'. But this did not calm the audience: 'The brand's position in the spirit of 'we have a head on our shoulders' is surprising. Did you think we are idiots?'.

The incident went beyond Ukraine and received international attention. For example, the Spanish brand Zara also faced a ban on two advertisements in the UK due to excessively thin models – this illustrates a general trend of criticism in the fashion industry for inappropriate content. In Zara's case, the decision was made by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). Thus, the story with Onebyone became yet another example of the challenges brands face in the modern media space.

This scandal highlights the increasing sensitivity of society towards issues of the sexualization of children and their use in advertising campaigns. Such cases have repeatedly caused widespread resonance, forcing companies to reconsider their marketing approaches and take ethical norms into account when creating content. For the Russian audience, it is important to understand that such discussions reflect global changes in the perception of advertising: consumers are increasingly demanding responsibility and respect for family values from brands. Moreover, it serves as a reminder of the necessity of transparent dialogue between clothing manufacturers and consumers, which can impact the development of the fashion industry as a whole.