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In 2015, Mia Goth appeared in an advert that was banned for sexualising a child. She was 22
Miu Miu’s 2015 fashion advert featuring Mia Goth was banned by the UK Advertising Standards Authority, which ruled that it presented a child in a sexualised way. Goth was 22, and the decision drew attention to how the campaign’s styling and her youthful appearance could be interpreted, despite her being an adult.
The advert showed Goth reclining on a bed, seen through a partly open doorway, and appeared in British Vogue. The ASA said it was irresponsible and likely to cause serious offence; Goth, Miu Miu and Vogue defended it, with Goth describing it as a beautiful piece of art and saying she did not see it as sexual. At the time, Goth was early in her acting career and less widely recognised than she is today.
In short
- Mia Goth was 22 when the Miu Miu advert was banned.
- The ASA said it sexualised a child.
- Goth and the brands defended the campaign.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The strongest case for the ban is that advertising should avoid images whose styling and context could reasonably make an adult model appear to be a child in a sexualised scene. The ASA could judge the advert by its likely effect on viewers, rather than the model’s actual age or the campaign’s artistic intent, and conclude that the risk of serious offence made publication irresponsible.
The case against
The strongest case against the ban is that Mia Goth was 22, and the people behind the advert understood it as an artistic fashion image rather than a sexual one. On this view, treating a youthful appearance and a reclining pose as sufficient grounds for prohibition risks confusing adult fashion imagery with the sexualisation of children and unduly restricting creative expression.
Explained simply
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the UK body that considers complaints about adverts and can ban campaigns it finds to break its rules. Miu Miu is a fashion label, and British Vogue is a fashion magazine that publishes both editorial work and advertising.
The dispute centred on how an advert’s styling and presentation might be understood by viewers. Although Mia Goth was 22 when it appeared, the ASA judged that the image presented a child in a sexualised way; Goth, Miu Miu and Vogue disagreed with that interpretation.
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