Covid-19 App Aplogises For Advertising Face Masks From Samantha Cameron's Fashion Label
An app tracking coronavirus symptoms has apologised after facing a backlash for promoting face masks designed by Samantha Cameron’s fashion label.
The Covid Symptom Study app is run by health science company Zoe and shares the data it collects with King’s College London.
But it faced criticism over the weekend after users received “inappropriate” adverts from Cefinn, the label founded by the wife of the former prime minister David Cameron.
The firm has released a new capsule collection of face coverings in support of The Covid Symptom Study.
An email sent to those who have signed up to the study says the app is “proud” to work with Cefinn, and features a photograph of Cameron modelling the brand’s Rust Circle Geo Print mask, which is currently sold out. It’s priced at £25.
The email, which was screenshotted and shared on Twitter, read: “We are proud to announce that we have partnered with womenswear brand Cefinn to bring you a collection of beautiful limited edition silk face coverings.
“100 per cent of sales from the sale of Cefinn masks will go toward funding the groundbreaking research that is being conducted at King’s College London to understand the long-term effects of Covid-19.”
Pretty sure I didn’t sign up to the COVID symptom study in the expectation of getting an advert in my inbox for a women’s fashion label.
There is something very inappropriate about this, and not only because it’s social PR for a business run by the wife of a former PM. pic.twitter.com/VJoLqPhAGG— KateMaltby (@KateMaltby) October 17, 2020
I wasn’t ‘offended’ @Join_ZOE It’s not about offence. You abused my trust and if you misinterpret this as ‘offence’ that can be dealt with by a ‘sorry if you were offended’ statement then you’re even further from getting my trust back. Pls do some long overdue patient involvement https://t.co/ijjNqk0lcu
— Margaret O'Hara (@Know_HG) October 18, 2020
In response to one Twitter user, Zoe tweeted:...
