#PushItOut – Brands Are Responding

PRESS RELEASE! ASOS becomes first online clothes retailer to include disclaimer on maternity advertising following #PushItOut campaign

Online fashion retailer ASOS has this week moved to update its website to make it clear to customers when they use prosthetic maternity bumps, following conversations with the #PushItOut campaign calling for more honesty in maternity advertising.

The campaign was started by Louise Boyce, digital influencer and model of 23 years, following her experiences online shopping for maternity clothes while pregnant with her third child.

Louise found many brands use fake foam bumps to model pregnancy clothing instead of using pregnant models, which she argues is a false representation of pregnant women’s bodies and can cause stress due to unrealistic expectations for expectant mothers.

ASOS have this week updated their PLC site to include a section on prosthetic maternity bumps and have agreed they’ll be adding some language to the product pages for all new maternity wear, to make it clear they’re using a prosthetic bump, and to give precise sizing information on the bump they’ve used.

Founder of the #PushItOut campaign Louise Boyce said:

“I am absolutely thrilled ASOS are the first brand to recognise maternity advertising needs to change. The disclaimer I’ve been campaigning for is now in place on their website, which means consumers have more clarity when shopping online and more understanding about the products they’re buying. Ultimately, I hope this will improve pregnant women’s body confidence and have a positive effect on their wellbeing.

“I’m calling on other brands who use prosthetic bumps to make maternity advertising clearer on their websites, and use more real pregnant models of all sizes to model maternity clothes. Using a size 8 model with a fake bump does not represent the diversity that comes with pregnancy.”

 

The campaign began in May when Louise bought clothing from several online retailers and recreated the images used with prosthetic bumps on models, compared to her real bump, calling for more transparency when advertising maternity clothing.

#PushItOut garnered widespread coverage last month when it was discovered that Love Island contestant and model Arabella Chi was an ASOS maternity model. The campaign has had support from Giovanna Fletcher and Brittny Ward.

Louise added: “On a personal note, this is another great step forward in the ever evolving fashion industry and a positive message for women to feel better about themselves when shopping online – especially when their hormones and bodies are changing so beautifully. A progressive step in the right direction for true representation and diversity”.