Controversial 'Beach-Body Ready' Ad Campaign Sparks Outrage
The Protein World ad received serious backlash for “body shaming" women.
— -- A bigger-than-life advertisement for a weight-loss shake from the company Protein World has sparked an even bigger outrage for featuring a sexy blonde in a yellow string bikini, asking women in big, bold letters, “Are you beach body ready?”
Women are calling the ad campaign “sexist” and “body-shaming,” taking to social with the viral hashtag #eachbodysready,” even defacing the ads themselves.
The backlash is reminiscent of the firestorm after Victoria’s Secret launched “The Perfect Body” campaign, starring some of their famous angels.
Victoria's Secret Changes Controversial 'Perfect Body' Slogan
“The goal is to get them to change,” Stacy Kaiser, a Los Angeles-based psychotherapist, told ABC News.
Nearly 60,000 people have signed a petition on Change.org, created by Charlotte Baring of East Sussex, England, demanding Protein World remove their beach body advertisement.
And in London, a protest is in the works, spearheaded by two bloggers who posted a photo of themselves in bikinis standing next to the ad with caption, “We’re beach body ready. Exactly as we are.”
Their campaign is just one of many inspiring women to love their bodies.
“That’s something to be celebrated,” said Rachel Hollis, a blogger and author of the book “Sweet Girl.”
The mother of three was shocked by the outpouring of support after posting a photo to her Instagram showing her post-baby stretch marks front and center. In just one hour after posting it, the photo had 1,000 “likes.” It now has nearly 8,000.
“We’re shifting the perception of what a beautiful woman looks like,” Hollis of Glendale, California, explained.
The “love your lines” campaign on Instagram, which is also empowering women to be proud of their stretch marks, has more than 120,000 followers.
And model Chrissy Teigen is getting major props after showing off her very real stretch marks on Instagram and vowing not to Photoshop them away.
“Society is taking a turn,” Kaiser said. “Women are trying to embrace who they are, the way they are.”