'Body shaming' ad draws scorn for Victoria laser clinic

Alice Bracegirdle was driving to pick up her daughter fromhigh school when her carpulled up behind a bus.

The back of the bus was emblazoned with a large ad from a local laser clinic for a weight-lossprocedure to treat "mom bod," "pooch abdomen" and "muffin top."

"Goodbye Fat. Hello Coolsculpting.Love ya, Cosmedica," the advertisement from Cosmedica: The Art of Dermatology read.

"It was just so obviously body-shaming, right in my face," Bracegirdle told All Points West host Robyn Burns.

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"They were saying, you know your mom-bod is not okay, and so you should get this procedure to take care of that," she said.

Bracegirdle, who is founder and CEO of a dance-inspired fitness company called Bellyfit, said she knows from her work how damagingmessages like these are to a woman's self-worth.

"It really struck me at a really deep level and it was a very physical reaction. I just felt somebody had to say something about it."

Bracegirdle did say something about it:on Facebook.

The response from over 100 people in the first daystunned herand prompted an apology from the company behind the ads.

At first the company defended the ads in an attempt by the ad writers to "be playful with words."

"However, if the words chosen are suggesting the wrong message, we will honor such concerns and revisit this campaign immediately. We hear you," the company posted.

When that message generated further criticism, Cosmedica backed away from the ad campaign completely.

"We now have assurance all bus ads will be down before week's end, as quickly as bus schedules can be managed," a statement posted Monday said.

"Bus shelter ads are already being taken down. All other campaign marketing materials have ceased."

Cosmedicaoffered "our deepest, most sincere apologies."

Cosmedicapublicist Adele Chan said in an interview, "We do not want to shame anybodyand we want to learn from this experience and choose the correct words that will bring out the positive."

Meanwhile Bracegirdle says she usually avoids conflict, but that"this whole thing has given me some hope."

With files from CBC Radio One's All Points West

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