Magic marker, anyone? None for Kipp, thanks.

Magic marker, anyone? None for Kipp, thanks.

Photoshopping to cover extra skin in photos is nothing new. But then, if the region’s so important to brands, then why not dress the model to suit this market’s taste?

March 30, 2011 3:55 by kippreport

There’s “nothing dramatic” about it, an H&M representative to Gulf News’ Tabloid! when asked to comment about the mild criticism it’s gotten from the Photoshop job the company did to the global campaign staring model Gisele Bundchen.

And that rep is right. It’s really not a big deal.

Kipp remembers the days of old when magic markers were still used to black out ‘culturally insentive’ images in most magazines imported into the UAE. In fact, we’re pretty sure we still see the familiar black mark here and there.

Let’s face it, we’ve all seen women around town wear far more questionable clothing then those Bundchen wore in the photos. It is more likely the second-rate Photoshop job that offended onlookers more than the cover up itself.

So case closed, right? Well not quite. Kipp got to thinking.

Photoshopping images, especially when you’re putting an extra layer of clothing, can get really tricky in a fashion sense. An extra layer of clothing would completely change the look of an ensemble from hot to not, as Kipp has heard these fashionistas say.

So if the Middle East is important enough, as Kipp is always seeing research papers underline, why not get Bundchen and any other model for any other brand to wear different variations of clothing that keep in line or at least touch the limits of acceptable clothing in this region?

Kipp is far from naïve in thinking it’s easy to financially justify the extra cost of a longer photoshoot compared to a 5-minute rush photoshop job.
But since the brand has already received unwarranted lukewarm publicity, it’s hard to really put a value on brand awareness and reputation.

Maybe brands should stop paying lip service and actually put money where their mouth is when it comes to saying this is a market in which they seriously want to be.