A Melbourne-based jeweller has been slammed over an advertising campaign that appeared to mock drug addiction and the .
The now-deleted video, created by boutique brand S-kin Studio, shows a woman face down on the pavement with the contents of her handbag scattered around her.
At one point in the ad, which was captioned 'I found her like this', another woman approaches and robs the woman's jewellery case lying beside her.
'That's vile,' one person wrote on the page Tea Time after a screenshot from the promotion was shared on the platform.
'The way society dehumanises homeless people and homelessness is disgusting,' they added.
'It's incredibly demeaning and offensive that this is the desperation that they will think will help sell their product,' another said on the same thread.
A Melbourne-based jeweller has been slammed over an advertising campaign that appeared to mock drug addiction and the homeless. (Pictured: S-kin Studio founder Chi Mai)
The now-deleted video, created by boutique brand S-kin Studio, shows a woman face down on the pavement with the contents of her handbag scattered around her
A third person said, 'What brand is this? I need to be sure to avoid it. Marketing homelessness, drug OD, assault. Not cool at all.'
Some in the thread began to speculate that the ad was intended to be humorous, with the woman suffering from a hangover.
'Am I the only one who sees this as a big night out and she's passed out, not anything to do with addiction, homelessness...' one person suggested.
Another replied: 'Using a situation where a person is vulnerable and having their belongings taken [cos] it's cute as a marketing gimmick is still pretty disgraceful.'
Chi Mai, co-founder of S-kin Studio jewellery, was forced to post an apology after the backlash and insisted the ad was using the popular 'trip and fall' trend used by content creators.
'Earlier today, we posted a video about our Gold Mini Vault launch,' she said in a video posted on Instagram.
'The trend format we used came across as poking light of homelessness, and that is genuinely tone deaf and not okay.
'I am so sorry. As the founder, this is on me, and intention or otherwise, we got it wrong.
The S-kin Studio ad created a storm of protest online
The brand is known for its gold-filled accessories that won't tarnish in water and are suitable for sensitive skin.
With no formal training in jewellery making, the 30-year-old started by watching tutorials on different techniques before experimenting with pieces ordered from a US wholesaler in the spare bedroom of her Melbourne home.
In 2024, the entrepreneur opened a boutique in Hawthorn.
