This is typical advertising it gives the impression we can look as good as the models if we choose that brand. Benetton, however use different advertising tactics.
Benetton has become one of the world's most recognised clothing brands since the late Eighties, mainly as a result of an outstanding and often controversial advertising campaign, which sometimes seems to have small relevance to the clothes it signifys. Instead Benetton's advertising is primarily the worldview of Luciano Benetton, a leading member of the prosperous family. Benetton has turned controversy into a spectacularly successful marketing strategy. The "United Colours of Benetton" campaigns played on themes of “racial harmony,” and helped convert the firm into a powerful global brand. But sales really rocketed when the advertisements took on other "social issues" they where said to be intentionally provocative. The Economist reports “in 1990 sales rose by 25% to 2 trillion lire ($1.7 billion); in 1991 they are thought to have increased 15%.”
Toscani's partnership with Benetton began in 1982. The expansion of Benetton's international company image was one of Toscani's most important assignments. It has won him many awards, including the 'Grand Prix d'Affichage.’ In 1989, he won the 'Lion d'Or at the Cannes Festival for the television spot directed by him.
“Advertising is the richest and most powerful form of communication in the world. We need to have images that will make people think and discuss.” Toscani on advertising
Toscani believes that his rival “ad agencies” create a false reality and want people to believe in it. He said, “We show reality and we are criticized for it.” Toscani believes Benettons advertisements are wrongly disapproved of. Benetton uses images that individuals may witness on the news in papers etc. “But when you take the same photo out of the news and put a Benetton logo on it, people pause and reflect on their position on the problem. When they can’t come to terms with it, they get mad at us.” Toscani indicates the public’s narrow mind and again gives a legitimate motive for his work, and places public debate in the wrong. Tocani likes to see his advertising as a type of journalism. He considers that he should be liberated to demonstrate whatsoever he desires, he believes harsh reality should not be limited to the news, news papers or documentaries on the television.
I will now be referring to two of Toscani’s two most controversial images I will explain the effects they had on the general pubic also I will clarify my own views. Toscani decided to shy away from the everyday advertisements as he feels they cause a large amount of physiological harm to members the public. “ a lot of insecurities are caused by the stereotypes in those images, and advertising is very influential in the education of our young.” Here is claiming that he believes that illnesses like anorexia and body dimorphic disorder are the results to manipulative advertising.
Benetton baby was produced as a 1991 advertising campaign that also included images of a priest kissing a nun and coloured leaves floating in a sea of petrol. Although I would presume Benetton would be trying to show the beauty and goodness of the new born baby they claim “Benetton is not trying to emphasise the beauty a and goodness of its apparel, but rather is trying to capture the interest or people…The objective is to brake through the barrier of indifference.” But I believe that the image is in anyway offensive or wrong.
The image consists of a newborn baby trailing its umbilical cord, the baby is covered in blood, and two hands, presumably of a Doctor, are waiting to receive the child. This was created to appear on billboard so the shire size would make the image impossible to be missed. The background is white therefore the baby stands out. The logo is included to the left of the advertisement and is very small almost insignificant. The image is very clear and not edited in any way to make the situation more attractive
I agree with the advertisement entirely. Although it is a strange way to advertise I have no objections. The image is very large and might not be what all people want to witness it but birth of babies are publicized on the television as entertainment or education in more graphic detail. Isn’t a baby being born “the most wonderful experience”? But people did however complain, the public disagreed strongly with this image “the poster…. Has attracted more than 800 complaints.” 800 is not a particularly large amount when in comparison with the millions that would have witness the advertisement. The complaints consisted of “the image is shocking and distasteful…”, “many children are reported to have found it disturbing…”and objections regarding the ”exploitative use of such an image to sell clothes.”
All complaints where made to an advertising organisation called the ASA. The ‘Advertising Standards Authority’ began in 1962 by the advertising industry. The ASA practises a voluntary code of practice called ‘The British Code of Advertising and sales promotion practise. The code declares that all advertisements must be legal, decent honest and truthful. They must not be offensive or downgrade competitors they must not deliberately misinform.
Benetton baby does break some of these rules. The first rule broken in some points of view is ‘decency’ “No advert should contain any matter that is likely to cause widespread offence….”The advert may be offensive to a mother who recently had a miscarriage. As to a woman whose child has recently died or to a woman who cannot become a mother. Etc. however this information cant be held against Benetton as a second rule in the code states, “[t]he fact that a product may be found offensive by some people Is not… a sufficient basis under the code for objecting an advertisement for it” therefore the advert is within its own rights.
‘Honesty’ “…. cause be easily grasped and clearly understood…” the advertisement isn’t entirely clear. From the advertisement alone you are not able to grasp what exactly the clothing company is retailing. However the advertisement does not lead you to believe that the Benetton Company sells babies or anything else, for that matter.
“Looking death in the face” An ad showing the image of surrounded by his family. The logo is present also but, as with the others, it is small and unimportant. The camera shot is very provocative, it is very close up. The dying man obviously and purposely is made to resemble Jesus this has been done by computer. The image almost makes you fell an intruder in the scene. This has led to furious debate about the limits of advertising. Benetton claims, "It was as if the reality of suffering only had dignity and moral value in the editorial section of a newspaper and lost all its ability to denounce and sensitize people when in `contagious' contact with advertising." Published by an English daily before its official presentation, the photo provoked a controversy that extended from Great Britain throughout the world.
The AIDS ad may, however be seen by some as trying to profit from people's pain rather than simply offending the more traditionalist members of society. One British AIDS charity agreed, while some American gay activists disagree, saying the advertisements gives the issue a higher public profile. The parents of the dying man may feel the same since, according to Benetton, they approved the company's use of the photo.
With this new project, Benetton has once again chosen to look reality in the face by embarking upon a social issue, as he did in previous campaigns that focused on war, Aids, discrimination and racism. Harshly attacked by some and internationally applauded by others, Benetton's campaigns have managed to tear down the wall of indifference contributing at increasing the awareness of universal problems among world's citizens.
Both the advertisements, “Benettons baby” and “looking death in the face” Where concealed and eventually banned across the world.
There is more to this than the old saying that all publicity is good publicity. Oliviero Toscani, Benetton's “adman,” claims the campaigns are not designed to offend, but rather to "raise consciousness." A more plausible interpretation is that Benetton is trying to sell sweaters to the young and hip and those who like to think of themselves in that way. What better means to appeal to them than by offending an older generation of their parents?
7th January 2000 - At the beginning of the new millennium, Benetton publicized the real faces of the prisoners on death row, without a future. Remorseful or unremorseful, smiling or sad, healthy or ill, they all are guilty in the eyes of the human law. Many have their arms crossed; one is shown reading the Bible. Almost all of them are looking directly at the camera, at you. These portraits of dozens of individuals sentenced to death are the results of Oliviero Toscani's two years of work which he visited several American prisons.
The campaign is about the death penalty this project aims at presentation to the public the reality of capital punishment, aiming to prevent people considering the death penalty as a distant matter, just something they might hear about on television. Toscani's images intend to give back a human face to the prisoners on death row, to remind "respectable people who are always so sure they're right..." that these people are human Beings not virtual characters easily removed or secured with a simple click as with a game.
The campaign appeared on billboards and on the pages of the major publishing companies around Europe, America and Asia in January 2000. Toscani spoke for the prisoners when he said, "that having killed has changed them forever, and for the worst."
Speedy Rice a writer, on behalf of the NACDl (National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers) who has contributed to the campaign by patiently contacting and negotiating with prisons' Mr. Rice mentions that during 1999 there has been a huge rise in the number of executions in the United States. Of the 600 death sentences that were passed between 1976 and the end of the 20thcentury, approximately 100 executions were carried out in 1999.
Benetton advertisements to me have a strong meaning, which differs from individual to individual. For some the adverts are merely indicating how ignorant the world is today. How people emphasise on looking a certain way and how they foresee others.
To others they may be seen as a source of entertainment something to discuss on the train or to your local cab driver that will never silence. There are many other views but mine is this I agree entirely with the advertisements, although others wont. The ads are unique and contain moral issues that may keep the brain puzzled all day to find. As there has been such uproar in disagreement concerning the ads this has given Benetton a vast amount of free advertisement.
I like all the adverts I have been analysing although I do prefer the “death row” images. These appeal to me a majority more as they have more of a moral message, and become challenging to comprehend the death penalty law. You are left asking yourself, “Do I agree with the death penalty?”
All of the benetton advertisements caused great amounts of controversial disagreement. The three mentioned esspecialy, as to more than half the world they have no meaning, as to others they offend highly.
