Hunter wellies cleared of investigation into using ‘unhealthily thin’ models in their ad campaigns

Trendy wellies brand Hunter, worn by celebs and royalty, has been cleared of using an “unhealthily thin” model in adverts.

The Duchess of Cornwall has been seen wearing the brand which is a staple on the feet of fashion queens such as Kate Moss, Alexa Chung, Daisy Lowe and Pixie Lott on the music festival circuit. But the popular brand came under investigation by advertising watchdogs after a complaint that a video on its Facebook page as well as a poster campaign on the London Underground featured an “unhealthily thin” model.

The 10-second video, featuring two women dancing in waterproof clothes, was posted last October while the tube poster, showed 12 images of models in waterproofs. Seven of the images featured one of the women in the video.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) launched a probe after a complaint from a member of the public who believed one of the models depicted appeared “unhealthily thin,” and challenged whether the ads were irresponsible. Hunter Boot Ltd said that the model in question had a “naturally slim build” and was of good health. The firm provided a letter from the model’s agency which stated that she was of “sound health.”

Hunter said that the model only had her knees and thighs exposed, and that the limited exposure of her body didn’t provide an overall view of her figure – for instance, her calves, torso, neck and arms were not visible. They said that as a result of the dance and movement in the video, the stance of the model “changed constantly” and the images captured were only motion shots.

Hunter also pointed out that the model was smiling and having fun. The ASA cleared the advert of any wrong-doing and deemed no further action was necessary.

An ASA spokesman said: “We acknowledged that the model in question appeared to have long and slim legs. However, in both ads, her legs appeared to be in proportion with the rest of her body, while only her knees and thighs were visible. We considered that, although she was slim, she did not appear to be unhealthily thin, and therefore concluded that the ads were not irresponsible.”

Featured image via Hunter’s Instagram.