Ukrposhta and Rikky Hype brand accused of child sexualization: brands' reaction

A scandal erupted on social media around Ukrposhta's collaboration with Rikky Hype due to a Valentine's Day post featuring a schoolgirl in a short skirt and heels posing near a blackboard. The brands reacted to accusations of child sexualization, UNN reports.

Details

As part of the collaboration for Valentine's Day, the brands installed thematic mailboxes that can be used to send specially created valentines.

On February 13, 14, and 15, Rikky Hype and Ukrposhta are installing special mailboxes in the brand's stores in Kyiv and Dnipro. On these days, you will be able to send specially created valentines with exclusive envelopes and stamps designed for the project to those you love, by making a purchase

Public outrage was caused by the photos in the post, in particular, an image where the model poses as a schoolgirl. She was dressed in white tights, small heels, a mini-skirt, and a pink off-the-shoulder sweater.

The post immediately sparked widespread discussion on social media. Users accused the brands of child sexualization. In the comments, people called the "schoolgirl's" pose and outfit too revealing.

It is also important that the discussion around the collaboration flared up against the backdrop of the resonance surrounding the newly published materials in the Jeffrey Epstein case, as well as due to the appearance of a new provision in the draft Civil Code of Ukraine, which provides for the possibility of marriage from the age of 14 by court decision in case of pregnancy or childbirth.

Spanish shame, not a collaboration. You don't have to sexualize children to evoke nostalgia for school valentines. You have a very stupid approach, especially in the wake of the Epstein story, and sexual criminals against children

On the basis of Epstein and other trash, did no one in this collaboration have any doubts? Advertising should not endanger children, advertising should not sexualize and objectify minors - another user wrote.

Comments like "did you forget your 9th-10th-11th grades, it was all like that" - this is the genre of "our parents also beat us and nothing - we grew up normal." These frames give off fierce anxiety, even if there is no explicit sexualization of childhood here. If 10 or 20 years ago high school students were like that, it does not mean that it is normal

At the same time, there is another side to the comments:

I reread the comments and I don't understand, what's so special about it? Where is the sexualization? In my school years, high school girls looked exactly like that, it's very modest here

Cooool!! Looks awesome!!

School years used to look exactly like that, short skirts, low-rise jeans, bare belly, it was chic and glitter. So with a healthy and fresh mind, this will only evoke pleasant memories, and if everything is equated with sex, hidden subtext and pedophilia, then it's better to stay at home and not go out, because you will be shocked by the world

How did the brands react?

Ukrposhta CEO Ihor Smilianskyi reacted to the incident and admitted that such a post was a mistake.

As I promised, over these days I talked to people who really understand the topic. Special thanks to educators and specialists who work with child protection issues every day, and not just when the topic becomes loud. They provided me with all the necessary information for decisions. The publication that caused a resonance is our mistake. First of all, my personal one. We did not take into account the important context of a sensitive topic. Namely - the discussion of the scandal with the Epstein tapes, discussions about changes in legislation on the age of consent for marriage, and the rebranding of Ukrposhta. In this context, an incorrect decision was made, and I admit it

And he also added that cooperation with the clothing brand has been terminated as of today.

Which does not mean cooperation with this or another youth brand in the future, because we definitely plan to expand our target audience. Another nuance - when a bunch of commentators hinted that Ukrposhta should not work with a youth brand, because pensioners come to our branches and "pension-aged grandmothers" work for us, I would like to remind you that in a modern European country such posts are ageism. For those who have not learned English - age discrimination. Therefore, in the pursuit of hype, one should not lose humanity and respect for elders

In turn, the Rikky Hype brand deleted the photo, explaining this decision as an attempt to "stop the flow of thoughts." Also, photos of the team members in their school years were attached to the post, which, according to the brand, served as inspiration for creating the campaign.

We are publishing real school photos of the Rikky Hype team. We specifically dug up these archives to show what inspired the creation of the collaboration campaign with Ukrposhta. As teenagers, we all dressed exactly like that to feel the most fashionable without any subtext). Our attitude has not changed: clothes cannot be a cause of aggression or an excuse for it. It is very scary that a short skirt became the impetus for such thoughts. To stop their flow - we almost immediately deleted the photos that became the subject of discussion

Recall

Ukrposhta is updating its style, presenting a new logo in the form of the letter "У". It is designed to strengthen Ukrainian identity and will gradually replace the old brand.