Rabat - Spain-based clothing company Zara has faced massive backlash and criticism over Zara Tukey's latest advertising campaign, featuring bread and other food in direct contact with shoes and sandals.

An online campaign under the hashtag #ZaraHaddiniBil, meaning “Zara know your place” in Turkish, has garnered considerable attention in the country, with users criticizing the clothing company for wasting and disrespecting food.

Opponents of the advertisement campaign accused Zara of being 'insensitive' to starving people who are struggling to access food. They shamed the clothing brand for being careless with food that would be life-changing for some.

Others, meanwhile, pointed to Islamic teachings regarding attitudes towards food, emphasizing that wasting and disrespecting food, especially bread, is forbidden.

Prophet Muhammad said in a hadith: “Handle bread with respect,” which Muslims take to heart. Turkish people have a habit of picking up bread from the ground, kissing it three times, and putting it on their forehead to show respect.

Using the widely circulated hashtag, Turkish actress Yıldız Tilbe took to Twitter to denounce and criticize Zara Turkey’s advertising campaign. “May Allah not grant you a crumb of that bread,” she tweeted.

Zara Turkey eventually removed the pictures from its website but did not issue any statement to address the online campaign.

Furious at the lack of apology from the company, social media users in Turkey are calling on people to boycott Zara and demanding the closure of its stores across the country.

Zara is known for its bizarre and extraordinary advertising campaigns, with many saying that it is a strategy to gain people’s attention and promote their products.

In 2020, shoppers were left baffled after the clothing giant released a series of campaign shots featuring models in odd and unexpected poses.

Zara, which has over 40 stores in Turkey, is a leading fashion retailer worldwide. The company specializes in fast fashion, including clothing, accessories, and swimwear.

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