@masterraalkivictorieux Master Ra’al Ki Victorieux
Discover the global impact of Benetton’s bold advertising campaigns promoting love. 😘💕😚 Their art has inspired debate and reflection. #Benetton #Unhate #CreativeAdvertising 😍🌍 https://wp.me/p3JLEZ-9xu
Da click aquí para leer la versión en español: Los Besos de Benetton
Benetton is more than a clothing brand; it also represents a legacy of creativity and color that has touched the entire world. Their advertising campaigns have amazed large audiences. The Benetton Foundation also supports young talents as well as drives campaigns that fulfill Luciano Benetton’s social commitment. The Benetton Group was born in 1965 in Italy, and in 1969 they crossed borders and opened the first store outside of Italy in Paris. In the 1980s, the originality of their campaigns, many featuring photographs by Oliviero Toscani, was so provocative that some magazines refused to publish them. By the 1990s, the company became global; with four brands and a presence in 120 countries. In 1994, Fábrica was established, an institute that supports young talents in design, communication, and art. In 2011, they launched “Unhate” (which can be translated as “to do the opposite of hate” or “to stop hating”), an advertisement where the world’s main political leaders are shown kissing each other. The goal is to encourage us to stop hating. Below, I present some of the images.
The advertisement featuring Pope Benedict XVI with the Muslim Imam was withdrawn just hours after the Vatican denounced it. In response, Benetton stated:
“We reiterate that the meaning of this campaign is exclusively to combat the culture of hate in all its forms. Therefore, we regret if the use of the image of the Pope and the Imam has offended the feelings of believers, and to corroborate our intentions, we have decided, with immediate effect, to withdraw this image from all publications.”
The campaign, which strayed from the norm, touched hearts across cultures and nationalities. It was wrapped in more controversies; among the publications that rejected the ads were the Herald Tribune, the Guardian, and Elle France. However, it gained attention in other widely circulated media such as The Economist, Newsweek, the magazine M, from Le Monde in France, and Für sie (for her) in Germany.
While some censured the Unhate campaign, others consider it a work of art. Among the accolades this project received was the Press Grand Prix award at the Cannes Advertising Festival in 2012. The jury proclaimed Unhate as one of the most transgressive campaigns for its universality and social responsibility, and awarded it for its media impact and for promoting a global debate. The three award-winning pieces featured Obama and Chávez, Merkel and Sarkozy, and Abbas and Netanyahu.
“If global love remains a utopia, even if shared, the invitation to ‘not hate’, to combat the ‘culture of hate’, represents an ambitious but realistic goal. With this campaign, we have decided to give worldwide visibility to a profound idea of tolerance, inviting citizens from all countries – at a historical moment of great uncertainty and great hopes – to reflect on how hate primarily arises from the ‘fear of the other’ and of that which is unknown. Ours is a universal campaign, utilizing tools such as the web, social media, and artistic imagination; at the same time, it is a unique campaign because it calls to action all those it addresses, the citizens of the world. Furthermore, it fully aligns with the values and history of Benetton, which by choosing social themes and actively promoting humanitarian causes that otherwise would not have been able to develop on a global scale, has given meaning and value to its own brand by building a lasting dialogue with people around the world.”
Alessandro Benetton
“Never in this world does hate extinguish hate; only love extinguishes hate.”
Sutta Pitaka
There is a delicate balance between inciting hatred and the reasons for love. Although some find the imagery humorous, sarcastic, and almost impossible for these kisses to happen in real life, the truth is that they are symbolic images of hope for reconciliation, triggers for dialogue, and hopefully, mediation.
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