Zara pulls ‘gluten free’ graphic shirt amid outrage it trivializes disease
![](https://digiday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2016/03/gluten.jpg?w=1030&h=440&crop=1)
Zara is discovering that gluten-free community isn’t full of laughs.
The fashion brand has pulled a T-shirt from shelves that read “Are you gluten free?,” a misfired joke intended to mock the diet fad. Yet, some people felt the shirt was offensive because cutting out the ingredient is a life-saving necessity for those with celiac disease.
The shirt sparked an outrage online, prompting a Change.org petition that collected 53,000 signatures.
“The message of this shirt trivializes an important health problem,” it says, asking Zara to not only stop selling the shirt, but to apologize and commit to “not trivializing” the disease.
To Zara’s credit, it listened.
“We sincerely regret that this case can be interpreted as a trivialization of coeliac problem completely opposite intention of Inditex,” its parent company said in a statement, adding that it has pulled the shirt from stores.
It’s the latest t-shirt faux pas that’s struck a fast fashion chain. Last week, Forever 21 apologized for selling a shirt that made light of rape.
More in Marketing
![](https://digiday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/money-sandwich-digiday.jpeg?w=439&h=277&crop=1)
Omnicom is consolidating B2B shop Doremus+Co with Merkley and Partners
The move is part of ongoing consolidation throughout agencies and holding companies as holding companies look for ways to drive efficiencies and boost revenue.
![](https://digiday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/07/creator-athletes-digiday.jpg?w=439&h=277&crop=1)
After keeping them at arm’s length, sports brands are opening the door to creators
The PGA and soccer club Juventus are taking a more progressive approach to creator-based marketing.
![](https://digiday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/04/DigidayCar.jpg?w=439&h=277&crop=1)
Car brands from BMW to Volkswagen lean into in-car gaming
The long-term potential for in-car gaming extends far beyond the relatively brief moments in which drivers are charging or filling their cars. As more vehicles become fully autonomous, drivers’ eyeballs no longer have to be focused on the road, turning them into a potential target for advertisers.