Singer Harry Styles and Gucci landed themselves in hot water over an advertisement.
Gucci tweeted the advertisement earlier this month, showing photos of Styles wearing what appears to be a t-shirt with a teddy bear on it and carrying what looks like a small mattress.
A performance piece starring #HarryStyles and the #GucciHAHAHA collection. Discover the campaign https://t.co/6SWoX3NzMP @Harry_Styles pic.twitter.com/urKTJRB50m
— gucci (@gucci) December 12, 2022
Twitter users circulated the image on Tuesday, sharing their concern with it.
“What is this?? … Creepy alert,” one user tweeted.
What is this???… Creepy alert? https://t.co/P9PZRzsGiZ
— ??TraumaNurse (@TraumaaaNurse) December 20, 2022
Another tweeted, “It’s real. Of all the potential props available for a photo shoot, [Gucci] and Harry Styles chose a child sized mattress. This prop hides the clothes. It’s purpose is obvious.”
It’s real
— Sweater Yams (@Sweater_Yams_) December 18, 2022
Of all the potential props available for a photo shoot, @gucci and Harry Styles chose a child sized mattress
This prop hides the clothes
It’s purpose is obvious https://t.co/mo4V0McjkO
One tweet called the ad “not normal,” adding, “Child’s mattress and Teddy bear shirt. Sickening.”
Not normal – child’s mattress & Teddy bear shirt. Sickening https://t.co/oy5WaJdgVT
— Ella (@Ella94814299) December 18, 2022
Read more reactions below:
Sick Pedos! https://t.co/KoqF4l9aVn
— Sunshine ? (@sssuper_s) December 20, 2022
#BoycottGucci https://t.co/eivQvy4rwI
— ناصر سعود المنِيع (@Nalmanie) December 19, 2022
Another fashion house promoting…. what? A grown man with a teddy bear shirt carrying a toddler mattress? Ok groomers. https://t.co/A5Uw5qNzwA
— Stacy Hutch (@HutchStacy1) December 18, 2022
I just bought a pair of gucci glasses because they make me look like an adult. But the Internet version of Gucci and its infantile depictions of men are gross. https://t.co/8so8Ugxnop
— Erin Holmes (@erinjholmes) December 18, 2022
The criticism comes just weeks after the creative designer for the brand Balenciaga issued an apology over a controversial ad.
Balenciaga under fire over 'creepy' ads of kids with 'bondage outfits' https://t.co/v1Tuf2J9PG pic.twitter.com/VHesAFgk2Q
— New York Post (@nypost) November 21, 2022
“I want to personally apologize for the wrong artistic choice of concept for the gifting campaign with the kids and I take my responsibility,” creative director Demna wrote in a statement.
It continues, “It was inappropriate to have kids promote objects that had nothing to do with them.”
He explained, “As much as I would sometimes like to provoke a thought through my work, I would NEVER have an intention to do that with such an awful subject as child abuse that I condemn.”
