Fashion brand Jaded has ad banned for 'glamourising smoking'
The advertising watchdog said Jaded London's marketing email made smoking seem appealing.
Fashion label Jaded London has had one of its advertisements prohibited for what the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) deemed "glamourising smoking." The brand, whose apparel has been sported by celebrities such as Beyoncé and Kylie Jenner, featured an image of a woman on vacation holding a cigarette in a promotional email.
The ASA determined that the ad was "heavily stylised and presented the model in a fashionable and attractive manner," thereby making smoking appear appealing. Jaded London contended that the cigarette was not the "focus of the ad" but committed to refraining from using images of models smoking in future campaigns.
The ASA's guidelines for socially responsible marketing stipulate that smoking should not be portrayed in an appealing, condoned, or encouraged manner. The Jaded London email, distributed on May 27, came under investigation following a complaint to the watchdog.
In its ruling, the ASA stated that the woman was wearing "fashionable clothing and accessories standing in front of a scooter next to a body of water, which the ASA considered evoked an aspirational holiday lifestyle." It added, "She was holding a slim cigarette with visible ash at the tip, and we considered that suggested it was lit."
The ASA instructed the brand to cease using the ad and to "ensure that their future marketing communications were socially responsible."
Founded in 2013 by siblings Jade Camber and Grant Goulden, Jaded London has accumulated 1.5 million Instagram followers and is particularly popular among young demographics. Its clothing is retailed in stores including Selfridges and Urban Outfitters, and the company reported £51 million in sales for the year ending June 2025.
In its defense, Jaded London argued that it was "not clear" the model was holding a cigarette because it was slimmer than usual and "did not appear to be lit." The company also asserted that it was "less prominent than other elements of the image, such as the model's clothing and accessories." Nevertheless, it stated that it "understood why it was best to avoid images of models holding cigarettes" and would not feature smoking content in future advertisements.
As of the time of reporting, Jaded London's Instagram feed contained several other images of individuals smoking while wearing its clothing. An ASA spokesperson informed the BBC that they could not comment on whether these other posts violated the rules without undergoing their formal process. They added, "We'd always encourage anyone who has a concern about an ad they've seen to report it to us."
Jaded London was approached for comment.