ANALYSES
This campaign is published in 1984. It was around this time that the Benetton family first thought about their marketing strategies. They wanted to promote their company and give the brand a boost. Benetton felt that their fashion brand should appeal to everyone in the world, so therefore they chose to focus on peace and racial harmony.
The ‘We are all united’ campaign was Benetton’s first step to spread their ideas about the world. In this advertisement we see thirteen ordinary human beings. They stand as a group, holding each other in a loving way. All are wearing bright coloured clothes and happy smiles. Everyone looks the same, yet different. Despite the fact that they are all happy, there are also ways in which they differ from each other. Their skin colours are not similar, just like their age and gender. Although the differences, the people seem to have a good time together. Therefore, we can state that Benetton tries to convey the message that no matter your gender, age or colour, we are all the same. The fact that Benetton used ordinary people in their campaign, makes the message of racial harmony stronger for the general public, because they can relate to the people in the advertisement. So Benetton tries to achieve equal treatment for everyone, no matter who you are and where you come from.
Racism was a common thing around this time. Benetton was one of the first companies to create awareness around this subject. For an upcoming company this was quite a risk, because no one dare to openly talk about this subject. Especially a majority of the rich western people, because at this time they still felt that they were better than others. According to them, black people didn’t deserve to have the same rights as them.
Benetton’s goal was to unite all the people and in a great part of the world this goal is achieved. Although this idea seems so easy to us, there are still a lot of places on earth where the practice is not even possible, because of war, dictatorship or cultural ideas.
The Uniting countries Benetton campaign was published in 1985. Around this time, the United States were in war with the Soviet Union (Russia). Adding the fact that other countries had conflicts with each other as well, Benetton came up with a campaign to stop these conflicts and unite them.
In the photo we see two young children with a dark skin colour. The child on the left is wearing a red sweater and has the flag of the Soviet Union on his head. The child on the right has the American flag on his head and is wearing a sweater that looks like the American flag. The children both symbolize a country. The Soviet Union rejects a kiss from the United States so to say.
The message that Benetton tried to show with this campaign was that the two countries should unify. This explains that their goal was world peace, so no more wars and hate.
The ‘uniting cultures’ campaign is published in 1986. Around this time, but also before and after, there was a lot of trouble in the Middle East. The main reasons for these conflicts were the historical claims of the Jewish and the Palestinians on the Promised Land. There was a lot of violence between these cultures. In only the year 1986, we see that the Islamic Fouad Ali Saleh group committed ten violations. In total there were much more. [5]
In this advertisement we see an Arabian and a Jewish boy. We recognize them, by their clothing, which is typical for their cultures. The two boys embrace each other and between them, they are holding a small version of the world.
The message Benetton wants to spread with this advertisement is to stop violence between different cultures. People from different cultures have different ideas of life, however this is not meant to be a bad thing. Everyone is different, so it is very logical that there are different ideas about one thing. Unfortunately, not everyone sees this as a positive thing. In this campaign Benetton tried to unite different cultures and especially the ones who really were in contrast. The reason for choosing Arabian and Jewish people was because of the hatred and lots of conflicts between the two. Benetton wanted to unite the cultures to create a peaceful society.
The opinions about this campaign differed very much. In the Netherlands this advertisement received different prices, while in the Jewish community in Paris this advertisement caused a lot of commotion.
Although violence between different cultures is not really a common thing in our daily life, it still is a problem. Especially in the Middle East there is still a lot of trouble, which seems almost impossible to control.
[5] Innovative Design History. WordPress. Apr. 2014.
The black and white campaign was published in 1989. Although the civil rights era was in the 1960’s, racism was still a thing around 1989. Benetton stands for equal rights and therefore, is against racism. With this advertisement they wanted to make an end to this.
The campaign is a photo of a black woman breastfeeding a white baby. She is wearing a red waistcoat.
The message of Benetton was to stop racism. Their goal was equal rights for everyone and world justice. Because this is quite an interesting image, the public was a bit shocked when it was released. The coloured people were positive about this advertisement, because they could see this as the end of an unpleasant time. White people from higher classes disagreed, since they felt that they had more value than black people.
So, the public reaction on this advertisement was negative. It was withdrawn after critics saw the advertisement as a reminder how white people treated the slaves. Slaves had been used to nurse white babies. This was an action that white people are not that proud of so they did not wanted to be reminded to this. On the other hand, the campaign got an award at the Cannes Advertising Festival for its good intentions and message.
This advertisement is also part of the Black and white campaign, published in 1989.
In this advertisement we see a black and a white hand, which are connected by use of handcuffs. Furthermore both are wearing a denim jacket and jeans, therefore the contrast between the different coloured hands, becomes even more visible.
This image is used to show equality between black and white people. This image was used to show that there was a kind of balance in society between black and white people and that everyone has to be treated equally. So, this advertisement is against discrimination and portrays equality between different skin colours. The white and the black hand are almost exactly the same. The clothes they are wearing just like the position of their hands is equal.
However, the goal of this advertisement was equal rights for everyone, the black community criticised on this advertisement. According to them, the campaign and this particular advertisement were used to remind them of the years of slavery. This had never been the intention of United colours of Benetton, but people interpret things differently. [6]
[6] Power and role of Benetton’s shockvertising. Natalia Kubacka. June 2012.
<https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/48098/Kubacka_Natalia.pdf?sequence=1>
The United advertisement was published in 1990. Around this time, there was still a clear division between certain parts of the world concerning for example skin colour. Just like Benetton tried to unify countries in a previous campaign, it now tries to unify people.
In the picture we see dark hands of an older person and white hands of a child. The hands of the two persons are folded. The child is holding little balls in all kinds of colours. These colours symbolize different people from different countries. The fact that both white and black hands are holding all the nationalities, says that Benetton wants to spread the word that one should be there for everyone. No exceptions.
Benetton tried to make an end to inequality based on where you come from. They wanted to make clear that despite the fact we all look different, we are all the same. We should treat each other the same and shouldn’t have prejudices.
In 1991 United colours of Benetton launched a new campaign called ‘Ebony and ivory’. Ebony and ivory, are in contrast with each other but this materials in combination fit perfectly to create new things.
In this advertisement we see three girls with different skin colours, black white and yellow. Although they have different skin colours, they also have a similarity. The three girls are all sticking out their tongues.
The idea of this campaign is again to stop racism. Benetton wants to unite the people and therefore also people that are in contrast, because of skin colour, can live happily together. This advertisement spreads the idea the black and white are united and one thing which is really interesting about this advertisement is that the tongues of the three girls are the same colour. So, despite the fact that there are differences, we can always observe similarities.
The Ebony and ivory campaign was published in 1991. This time Benetton wanted to do something about certain taboos in the world. The campaign is an attempt to refuse social issues.
In the picture we see a nun dressed in white clothes kissing a priest dressed in black clothes. They are both wearing something on their head. Their eyes are closed and their mouths are slightly open. They are standing close to each other. It looks like a wedding photo due to their appearance.
In this campaign Benetton puts opposites in the same image. With this they tried to symbolize the acceptance of diversity, different cultures and striving for equality and peace. This ad has a religious theme since it depicts a sensual kiss between two who entered religious orders. The company’s goal was to encourage people to refuse traditional restraint. It attacks the norms and values of the Catholic Church.
This advertisement caused the public to feel offended and it even caused such a stir that the advertisement was withdrawn.
1992: OLYMPIC GAMES
The awareness of AIDS increased in the late eighties and early nineties. United Colours of Benetton wanted to increase this awareness even more and therefore they came up with the idea to publish large posters with this picture on it.
In this advertisement we see five coloured condoms, placed against a white background. Two are red, one orange, a blue one and a green one. The five condoms are placed in the formation as the Olympic logo.
The aim of the Olympic games is to unite the world in competition towards the same goal. The alternative interpretation of this advertisement can therefore be the uniting of the world in the fight against aids. [7}
Around the Olympic games there were a lot of people in Barcelona, so Benetton was able to promote their idea here on a large scale. This posters were printed extremely big and spread through the city, which caused Benetton some negative reactions.
[7] Top 10 Controversial United Colors of Benetton Ads. Buzz. March 2012.
<http://top10buzz.com/top-ten-controversial-united-colors-of-benetton-ads/>
1991: HOPE
The Hope campaign of Benetton was published in 1991 as well. Around this time, AIDS was a really big issue. Benetton tried to raise awareness for this disease with help of this ad.
In the photograph we see a new born baby. It is still covered in blood and its umbilical cord is still intact. The baby is crying. A nurse is holding it. The nurse is wearing gloves and a blue costume.
This image represents childbirth as it is. It belongs to the aids campaigns. Too many children died because their parents had aids. The photo of this baby represents life and its values. It could be seen as an ‘anthem to life’. Benetton’s goal was to make people aware of the fact that life is precious. Their message was that one should protect themselves against diseases such as aids.[8]
It turned out that this campaign was one of the company’s most banned images ever. People thought that Toscani went too far and did not take into account sensitivity. Although it got lots of negative reactions, the campaign did win some awards.
[8] Benetton's most controversial adverts. Guardian Fashion. Nov. 2011.
<http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/gallery/2011/nov/17/benettons-most-controversial-adverts>
This advertisement is part of the real life campaign from 1992.
In this advertisement we see three little children. They look poor and are carrying bricks, which is heavy and dangerous work for their age.
Child labour can be seen in this advertisement. In our western society people do not think about this kind of things very often, because we don’t have to deal with it in our daily life. With this advertisement Benetton wants to inform people about all the trouble in the world, were a lot of people don’t think about. By using this picture for their advertisements, Benetton wanted to make the people aware of the fact that there is so much to worry about in the world and that we are actually very lucky, that we are not living in countries where this happens.
This advertisement again received different negative reactions, however Benetton asserted that it is not logical that shocking images that can be seen in the newspaper and on the television every day, are so much more shocking when the Benetton logo is placed underneath it.
The Real life campaign was published in 1992. This ad belongs to the AIDS campaigns.
The advertisement exposes the reality of aids. It is a photograph of David Kirby, a homosexual aids activist, dying in the arms of his father with his mother and niece sitting at his bedside. The family members are mourning and look sad. [9]
The goal of Benetton was to gain awareness on the aids subject. Kirby’s death looks like the death of Jesus. Benetton decided to name the advertisement ‘La Pieta’ which literary means ‘The pity” in Italian. This emphasized the relation between the two deaths. Because we already did a project on this campaign we know this ad caused negative and positive awareness.
Especially homosexuals and Christians raised their voices in order to gain attention. Christians thought that the advertisement related to the death of Jesus. In their eyes, Jesus was compared to a homosexual with aids and this was not done. The homosexuals did not agree with the campaign either. They felt offended because they interpreted this campaign as a message for them to have save sex and that it was directly addressing them.
Despite this negativity, this aids campaign was in many countries the first accepted on the topic of aids. It got many prices and got a lot of attention.
[9] Benetton Faces of Color. Duncan Macleod. Jan. 2013.
<http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2013/benetton-faces-of-color/>
In 1993 Benetton wanted to ask for some attention for HIV, because HIV was really a problem around this time
The HIV campaign consists of three pictures of different body parts, with a stamp on it which says: H.I.V. positive.
Benetton made these advertisements to show awareness of the diseases.
Although this campaign is also very controversial, this one was much more accepted than others like the one with the dying aids patient. But this doesn’t count for everyone. People who were suffering from this disease reacted very negative. The French court even sentenced Benetton to paying 50.000 francs per person, to the three people who objected against this campaign, because they felt insulted. According to the court, the campaign was to challenge enmity and exclude aids-patients. Benetton reacted amazed, because they got a lot of supporting messaged from aids-organizations.
In Germany this campaign was also not accepted. The H.I.V. Positive tattoo was thought to be too resembled to the forced tattoos placed on Jaws and Nazi concentration camps during the World War II. This protest led to a court case, however Benetton won. [9]
9 Power and role of Benetton’s shockvertising. Natalia Kubacka. June 2012.
<https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/48098/Kubacka_Natalia.pdf?sequence=1>
The Empty your closets campaign was released in 1993. Around this time Benetton began an international clothing redistribution project.
In the photo we see 57 year-old Luciano Benetton totally naked. The text “I want my clothes back” is strategically covering most of his body. The image is in black and white.
The purpose of this ad was to publicize their new project. They asked people to bring used clothes to Benetton stores for distribution to people in need in the entire world.
Many people donated their clothes to Benetton and charity organizations distributed the clothing to numerous countries. This campaign got a lot of positive attention and increased the company’s selling numbers as well.[10]
10 Bangladeshi factory collapse: Clothing companies fail to pay into Rana Plaza fund that provides compensation for victims of 2013 disaster. Jonathan Owen. Apr. 2015.
This advertisement is also part of the real life campaign. Benetton wanted to get awareness for the people who suffered during wartime.
In this advertisement we see clothes covered with blood. The clothes are from the perished Bosnian soldier, Marinko Gagro. The clothes were sent by the father of Marinko who wanted that the name of his son would be used for peace and against war. With this campaign Toscani also wanted to break the myth of an unknown soldier. Every perished soldier has been a brother, son or friend of someone. He is not a stranger who brave died for his homeland, but a victim of senseless violence.
As usual, this advertisement as part of the real life campaign caused a lot of negative reactions. After the advertisement was published even the parents of the soldier said, that they didn’t know which they had agreed to. The advertisements of the real life campaign were seen as inappropriate. [11]
11 Benetton sued over shock ads. Steve Crawshaw. Oct. 2011.
<http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/benetton-sued-over-shock-ads-1569139.html>
The Racism campaign was published in 1995. It is similar to the Ebony and ivory ad. Around this time Benetton wanted to put racism in the spotlights again, because it still occurred.
In the photograph three human hearts are depicted. They all look exactly the same. On every heart there is a black word: white, black and yellow.
The goal of this campaign was again to stop racism and to show the world that everyone is the same. The message that Benetton wanted to convey was that no matter your skin colour, every human has the same heart and therefore we are the same. We all should treat each other equally.
At this time, there were many more campaigns addressing racism. This is the reason that it did not cause a stir, but only started conversations between people on this subject.
This campaign became widely known. It won awards and did not raise a lot of disagreement. It was a boost for their company.[12]
12 10 powerful photographic ads from Benetton. Audrey Felser. May 2012.
<http://www.photoguides.net/10-powerful-photographic-ads-from-benetton>
The Food for life campaign was launched in 1996. During this time, parts of Africa were going through a dry period with no rainfall at all. Because of this prolonged drought, the countries suffered from food shortages.
The only thing we see in the picture is a black hand holding some white rice.
Benetton’s goal was to make people aware of the fact that there are others in the world who are in desperate need for food. This is symbolized by the very small amount of rice in the hand.
After Benetton offered this international exposure of the world’s food problem, people and companies started donating money. They understood that having enough food is an important start to develop and create peace within the countries. Although there are still many countries that have food shortages, Benetton did raise awareness on this problem.[13]
13 Food for life. Fabrica. Feb. 1993.
<http://www.benetton.com/food/press/downloadimg/life/index.html>
This advertisement is published in 1997. This is a single advertisement and not part of a campaign. Benetton wanted to get some attention for racial equality, because there is so much inequality in the world and therefore they published this advertisement.
In this advertisement we see a white child with orange curls, wearing a black baby. The fact that both children are naked, makes the contrast between black and white even more visible.
The public reaction on this advertisement was negative, because especially white people thought it was a strange idea that a white child, holds a black baby in such a loving way. To their opinion, children should not be involved in this kind of discussions.
The Sentenced to death campaign was released in 2000.
The campaign features prisoners who have been sentenced to death. In this case it is a bold black man wearing a white t-shirt and a green waistcoat. He does not look very happy.
The goal of this campaign was to show the public the reality of capital punishment.
The campaign resulted in protests over the entire world. Some states decided to even sue Benetton. In different parts of America some stores were even shut down as a protest towards the advertisement. This was the most controversial advertisement of Oliviero Toscani since he had been fired because of it.[14]
14 Shock tactics that finally backfired. Rory Carroll. Apr. 2000.
<http://www.theguardian.com/world/2000/apr/30/rorycarroll.theobserver>
This campaign was published, because in 2001 it was the national year of volunteers. United colours of Benetton wanted to draw some attention, because they are in favour of volunteers and there are never enough volunteers, so every extra volunteer is helpful.
In this advertisement we see a woman, who is a volunteer herself. In the back we see poor houses and peoples, this represents a place where volunteers are needed. Besides the Benetton logo, in this advertisement we also see an UN Volunteers logo, as this advertisement is part of a campaign for the national year of volunteers.
Luciano said that ‘Benetton had chosen to come out in favourer of voluntary effort and all those who elect to work for the good of others, without prejudice.’ Benetton aim with this campaign is to give greater visibility to a multifaceted reality which a lot of people underestimate or which they are often totally unaware of. [15]
For Benetton this was one of the first campaigns, were they didn’t get negative reactions on. The advertisement itself can’t really be seen as controversial. You see poor living conditions in the background, however it represents people who help other people to get a better life, so it is also not meant to be controversial.
15 Benetton launches new campaign in collaboration with UN Volunteers for the International Year of Volunteers. UNDP. Sept. 2001.
<http://www.unv.org/en/news-resources/news/doc/benetton-launches-new-campaign.html>
The Visions of Hope campaign was publish in 2002. This was a year after the first attack on the World Trade centre, on September 11.
In the picture we see a young girl with her eyes closed. This symbolizes the thought that she is really envisioning hope. She looks like she is imagining good things will happen.
The goal of this campaign was to give people hope in these hard times.
“September 11 opened our eyes. We saw things we would have preferred not to see, and things we never wanted to see. Now, one year later, we can close our eyes and imagine the future, knowing that something still remains, indelible, before our eyes.” [1] This was the intended message of the company. This ad was a greatly supported by many people, and strengthened the victims to look forward again. Benetton was loaded with positive feedback.
16 Visions of hope. Fabrica. Sept. 2002.
<http://www.benetton.com/hope/>
In 1993 United colours of Benetton launched a campaign for the fight against global hunger as hunger is the most fundamental problem, since it is largely overlooked by the media and public opinion. The campaign focuses on food, which can mean health, education, liberation, work, peace and hope for future.
In this advertisement we see an image of black man with an mutilated arm where a metal prosthesis is a spoon. This image shows poverty.
Benetton’s aim was to show how food can be a catalyst for social change, a major engine for peace and development that can radically change an individual’s future prospects in life. [1]
Although it is a bit a dirty looking picture, people become aware of the fact, that there is so much hunger in the world and that every 5 seconds someone dies because of hunger. Therefore this campaign has had a positive effect of society. Just like in 1996, people started realizing again that food is needed to survive and that everyone has the same rights to get enough food to live from.
17 Benetton's most controversial adverts. Guardian Fashion. Nov. 2011.
<http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/gallery/2011/nov/17/benettons-most-controversial-adverts>
The James and the other apes campaign was published in 2004. This campaign wanted to create awareness among the protection of the great apes.
In this picture we see an ape James. However there are lots of other photos and in those wee other apes with their names as well.
'This campaign was made with the support of the Jane Goodall Institute, founded by the renowned primatologist who is a committed defender of the environment and a UN Messenger of Peace. [1]
Due to this campaign, Benetton expanded its goals from human perspectives to the living beings that are closest to us as well. The portraits of the apes makes the public think about the fundamental questions of mankind while reflecting on the apes.
Benetton did not really expect the public to perform a specific action, however they wanted them to realize that animals have rights too. Provided with the background information that later on there were other companies and celebrities promoting to help animals, Benetton was one of the founders of this project.
18 James and the other apes. Fabrica. Dec. 2004.
<http://www.benetton.com/apes/>
This campaign is published in 2007. Benetton launched this campaign in public interest to create awareness regarding domestic violence against woman. [19]
In this advertisement we see a black coloured woman, who has clear Marks of violence inflicted on her face.
With this campaign Benetton wanted to get attention for all the violence against women in the world. At this time, most people were aware of the fact that this violence really was a problem, however they didn’t do anything to stop it and Benetton wanted to change that.
There was several criticism on this campaign. One thing is that in all advertisements black women are used, while there are also white women who have to deal with domestic violence. Another fact is that on the women used for this campaigns are traces of violence, while this is not always the case. Women can also be a victim of domestic violence without having these visible traces. A last thing is that this campaign is only about women, while several men have to deal with domestic violence as well. Think about homosexuals in a country where that is not accepted. [20]
19 Shock advertising. Swati Kaushik. Apr. 2010.
<http://www.slideshare.net/setukaushik/united-colors-of-benetton-3763868>
20 Colors of domestic violence? Jessica. May 2007.
<http://feministing.com/2007/05/29/colors_of_demistic_violence/>
The Microcredit Africa workers campaign was released in 2008. Benetton creates awareness on entrepreneurial Africa. The campaign promotes the micro-credit programme in Sengal. Benetton donated money to the programme itself as well.
In the photograph we see two Senegalese workers who have used micro loans to start their small businesses with their tools. One is a farmer, the other a cleaner. Above them is the slogan: microcredit Africa works.
This is what Benetton said about their campaign: "We chose to support and promote this important project because, unlike traditional acts of solidarity, it offers tangible support to small local entrepreneurs through the efficient use of micro-credit. Precisely because it is based on entrepreneurial talent, hard work, optimism and interest for the future, this project effectively promotes the new face of Africa." [1]
This campaign created awareness of the subject of micro credit and caused the public, like Benetton, to donate money to the programme. This resulted many Africans to be able to start their own small business and earn a living themselves. This was a great start for a better future.
21 Victims. Fabrica. July. 2009.
<http://www.benetton.com/microcredit/>
In 2008 Benetton launched campaign, because of the May earthquake in China’s Sichuan province.
In this advertisement we see a Tibetan monk and a Chinese soldier standing face to face in a praying position. In the back the word ‘VICTIMS’ is standing in large black letters in grey blotches suggesting smoke or dust.
Benetton launched this campaign in their Colors magazine, because they wanted some attention for the victims of the earthquake. Benetton is also a big supporter of the Red Cross in providing help to China’s earthquake survivors.
This advertisement is released at the First day of the Olympics in the main daily newspapers in France and Italy. Also in the Colors magazine, they included in Total thirty photos of the recent earthquake and also thirty prayers by Tibetan monks for the earthquake’s Chinese victims. [22]
The earthquake tragedy is used to try mending the China/Tibetan conflict. Therefore there were very negative reactions in these countries. However, in Europe the campaign was received very positive, because a lot of people wanted to see this conflict come to an end. [23]
22 Victims. Erik Ravelo. Aug. 2008.
<http://www.colorsmagazine.com/magazine/74>
23 Benetton Uses Prayer to Stitch Up Chinese/Tibetan Differences. Angela Natividad. Aug. 2012.
<http://www.adrants.com/2008/08/benetton-uses-prayer-to-stitch-up.php>
The It’s my time campaign was released in 2010. This was the first global online casting session.
In this photo we see a Chinese girl modelling.
The campaign was meant to highlight personal styles and one’s desire to be unique. The competition was held during one month and the best twenty became models for the Benetton campaign.
Benetton received a lot of attention since many people participated and created their own personal videos. This advertising technique works well since it actively appeals to the public.
The brand got a lot of compliments on the advertisement. People wanted more chances to become a model for Benetton. Benetton did something different and surprising. They took a risk and it worked out really well.
In 2011 Benetton published a campaign about all the hate in the World and especially between countries and World leaders.
In this advertisement we see president Obama kissing the Chinese President Hu Jintao. [24]
For this campaign, several manipulated images are used, but they send a pointed message. The main idea behind this campaign was actually to promote brand image through the an eye-catching and controversial campaign. To do this, Benetton allowed everyone to participate the campaign to stimulate public being together for global issue,
The reactions on these advertisements were very different. Some people were totally against, and therefore some of the advertisements were banded. For example the one with the pope, because religious people said that it is unacceptable to use the Holy father in such a campaign and that it shows a lack of respect for the pope. Benetton’s reaction was however that this was not the idea, the idea was to battle the culture of hate in all its forms. [25]
24 Benetton ‘Unhate’ Ad Campaign Features World Leaders Kissing. Christina NG. Nov. 2011.
25 Benetton Campaign 'Unhate' analysis. Liz Gdl. Sept. 2013.
<https://prezi.com/js-qior3jezy/benetton-campaign-unhate-analysis/>
The Unemployee of the year campaign was published in 2012. Because the world was dealing with the financial crisis around this time, there were a lot of people and especially young people, who could not find a job.
In the photo there are seven people depicted aged from 18 to 30 years old. They all look different and have different nationalities. They are all wearing a suit and have serious faces. Underneath them is the slogan: Unemployee of the year.
This project aimed to spread a positive message of hope and celebrate young people’s capacities to create new ways of addressing the unemployment problem. Benetton made it possible for young people to enter their project at their site. The best projects received a financial donation of The UNHATEfoundation.
Many young people participated in the competition. Even though some did not win, they were provided with the knowledge that it is not impossible to get a job. People inspired each other and helped each other. Benetton was a great boost for some, to start looking for a job again.[26]
26 Unemployee of the year. Fabrica. June 2012.
<http://unhate.benetton.com/unemployee-of-the-year/>
United colours of Benetton published a new campaign in 2013. For this campaign they chose to focus of people’s differences which should not be hidden but highlighted and supported.
The advertisement shows Dudley O’Shaughnessy, one of the ambassadors of the UNHATE foundation. In Total the campaign consists of nine advertisements of individuals who are all ambassadors of the UNHATE foundation.[27]
This campaign unites the two major pillars of the brand’s philosophy. Namely the humanitarian and colour. Because the nine ambassadors used for this campaign are all very different, this campaign has to do with multiculturalism. The message Benetton wants to spread with this campaign, is that everyone is different and that all these different people are worth attention. [28]
The public reaction on this campaign was very positive, because this campaign is not very controversial in a shocking way. You can relate to the people in the advertisements and therefore get the feeling that everyone, including you, matters.
27 Benetton’s New Global Campaign “Faces of Color”: Forget Prejudice, Foсus on Colour. Anna Rudenko. Jan. 2013.
28 Benetton Faces of Color. Duncan Macleod. Jan. 2013.
<http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2013/benetton-faces-of-color/>
The End violence against women now campaign was published in 2014. There are still a lot of women worldwide who have experienced physical of sexual violence.
In the photo we see a beautiful women sitting on her knees. Around her there are man throwing flower paddles at her. The sentence: End violence against women now, clearly explains the intention of the advertisement.
Benetton wanted to convey the message that women should not be thrown at with stones, however with flower peddles. Women should get the same rights and should be treated equally as men. Men should be nice to women. The company shows that it supports gender equality and empowerment of women.
Because everyone knows Benetton from its shocking campaigns, this was something entirely new for the world. This time they tried to reach people with beauty and emotion.
The new communication approach was still powerful. They reached people’s emotions and got awards for the campaign. “That is the way we want to represent women – as beautiful.” [29]
29 Violence against women. Fabrica. May. 2014.
<http://www.benetton.com/women/>