Sainsbury’s clothing range Tu has been widely praised for its new summer ad featuring 13 women with a diverse range of body shapes and sizes, races and ages, dancing across the screen with sheer abandon.
The advert, titled ‘Summer of Love’, is set to the 2018 song ‘Boasty’ by Wiley, featuring Idris Elba, and shows the women – who haven’t been photoshopped or retouched – dancing around in summer dresses and swimming costumes.
“Don’t let body hang-ups hold you back,” the voiceover states. “Because every body is beautiful. This is the summer of love yourself.”
People on social media have been quick to heap praise on the campaign, which launched in the same week as a new series of Love Island was criticised for its lack of body diversity on screen.
“Sorrryyy but every brand best listen up and take note because this is how you do an ad campaign,” wrote one person below the ad on Instagram.
Another commenter said: “Real diversity. Not ‘oh look some [thin] fat people’ as a token gesture. No ‘this is the new size 6’ to shame thinner ladies just lots of different types of ladies; just like the real world and just yes!”
One person admitted they actually cried when they first watched the ad: “Saw this on TV for the first time last night and genuinely got a little happy tear!”
A parent said: “This is exactly the kind of advertising I want my daughters to see on the TV. Love it.”
Several commenters said they would now be shopping with the brand, which is also available at Argos.
In February 2019 the supermarket released a lingerie advert also welcomed by female customers, called ‘All Boobs Welcome’. It featured real women in only their bras explaining what they nicknamed their boobs. The answers ranged from knockers, to fried eggs, crumb catchers, and curiously ‘Ant and Dec’.
A spokesperson for Tu said of the new ad: “Conversations about our bodies should empower us, make us feel positively fabulous and encourage us to be kind to ourselves and work towards loving what we have.”
One person summed up what everyone else was thinking, saying: “At last, diversity! Well done.”