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Victoria spa to withdraw ads over ‘body-shaming’ language

A Victoria medispa will remove its bus and shelter ads after an uproar over “body-shaming” language was ignited by a Facebook post.
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Phrases such as ‘muffin top' in an advertisement for non-surgical treatments sparked a backlash on social media. As a result, the ads will be withdrawn.

A Victoria medispa will remove its bus and shelter ads after an uproar over “body-shaming” language was ignited by a Facebook post.

The ads use the words muffin top, flank, belly, spare tire, mom bod, lovehandle, belly, inner thighs, tummy, belly fat, pooch and abdomen, with the phrase, “Goodbye fat. Hello Coolsculpting. Love ya, Cosmedica.”

“Moving forward, we will be very careful about the language we use,” said Adele Chan, from Blank Communications, on behalf of Cosmedica. “Right now, our priority is getting the ads down. We are very apologetic and want people to know we are listening to them.”

Alice Bracegirdle, who owns a dance-inspired fitness company and has been an outspoken advocate for body image awareness, started the campaign after she saw the ad on the back of a bus last week.

“The words came into focus, ‘Mom bod, muffin top, flank, spare tire,’ and I thought, ‘That is not OK.’ In fact, I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “It felt really archaic to see this kind of shame-based advertising.” Bracegirdle took a photo of the ad, and said she thought deeply before putting it online. “It was not on a whim … but I was surprised at the reaction,” she said.

Within a day, the post had 86 shares and 115 comments from others, including runner Lucy Smith, University of Victoria chancellor Shelagh Rogers and dancer Lynda Raino.

Many people went to the Cosmedica Facebook page to leave comments and low-rating reviews.

Cosmedica responded swiftly with an apology: “[I]t was in no way our intention to offend or upset anyone. Our marketing team had the best intentions to be playful with words, however, if the words chosen are suggesting the wrong message, we will honor such concerns and revisit this campaign immediately.

“We at Cosmedica are a team of mothers, daughters and sisters. We work together every day to love, empower and celebrate all women and every patient with the work that we do.”

That did not satisfy the online commenters, who wanted the ads removed. Cosmedica has started to do that, with the last ads to be removed by the weekend.

“At a first attempt, an apology is good. But they really need to engage with their community, to ask: ‘If this is not OK what is a way we can reach women by empowering them to make choices because they honour and respect their bodies?’ ” said Bracegirdle, noting she has no problem with medispa services.

“As the mother of a teenager, I can tell you they notice everything. For us to have any impact with what they’re already seeing on social media — Snapchat, Instagram — we need to talk about this and we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

B.C. Transit said it received complaints about the ads, but they did not contravene the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

“According to the Supreme Court of Canada, not liking an ad or an ad being controversial is not grounds for removing an ad,” said Transit spokesman Jonathon Dyck.

spetrescu@timescolonist.com