How fashion brands use advertising to “cover-up” labor and environmental abuses
When our favorite fashion brand uses language such as “ethically sourced” and “sustainable” in their ads, we want to believe they genuinely care about their impact. Unfortunately, this is not always the case as shown in a recent article by The Conversation which highlights just how superficial these “woke” marketing tactics can be. Despite increasing awareness of the negative impacts of fast fashion on environment and communities, the cycle of overproduction and excessive consumption continues.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions
In 2018, the Spice Girls promoted the sale of t-shirts that said “#IWANNABEASPICEGIRL” to raise money for a charity organization and promote equality for women. Meanwhile, later reports revealed that seamstresses making these t-shirts were not even earning a living wage in Bangladesh.
Similarly, NFL player turned social activist, Colin Kaepernick allowed sportswear brand Nike to use his anti-racism protest images in their “Dream Crazy” campaign. However, it is well known that Nike’s supply chain is tainted with Uyghur forced labor. Though Nike denies their participation in forced labor, they have yet to offer tangible evidence.