Benetton Group S.P.A.: Raising Consciousness and Controversy with Global Advertising

Answers to Case Questions:

Do you believe Benetton is sincere in its efforts to promote social causes through its advertising?

Yes, we do believe that Benetton is sincere in its efforts in promoting social causes through its advertising because it is included in the company’s values: “Our values have been at the heart of a commitment to social responsibility that has evolved over 50 years and that translates in the will to become agents of social change, by putting people at the centre of all our activities and by cooperating with all interested stakeholders.” Benetton is just basically maximizing the use of its ads, which is not to merely promote its products but also to communicate what the company cares about or causes the brand believes in. And despite of the negative impacts on its sales, they have continued to release “shocking” ads, which made the company consistent with its commitment. Furthermore, Oliverio Toscani himself is a firm believer of raising social awareness through his photography. This means that Benetton did not just put anybody in Mr. Toscani’s position. The company selected someone who shares the same values and stands with them. And apart from their ads, Benetton has been consistently supporting causes they believed in.

Compare and contrast the controversy over the “We On Death Row” advertising campaign with the controversies generated by the earlier campaigns of the 1990s. Do you think Americans would respond differently than, say Europeans? Why?

Benetton’s earlier campaigns in the 1990s were simply raising social awareness that targeted the general public, specifically the youth. The ads attracted public attentions because of the provocative and anti-social norm images. The ads essentially put images to the social issues that everyone knows but nobody is talking about. But the “We On Death Row” advertising campaign was more of a pursue to affect or move the government. This specific ad gained so much controversies because it “attacked” the capital punishment which is being implemented and is widely accepted in the United States. The Americans reacted negatively because they are more concerned with the lives of the victims’ families rather than the lives of the criminals. So seeing the faces of the perpetrators in an advertising campaign as if asking for “justice” would easily anger them.

The Americans and Europeans (in general) would respond differently to this particular ad because of their attitudinal differences, which have cultural and historic roots. American culture is emphasized on individual accountability, while the Europeans prefer rehabilitation over punishment. European nations have long abolished the capital punishment, although now, there were surveys and polls that show a significant number of Europeans who are in favor of reinstating the death penalty. However, they, as individuals can not do anything about it and this is simply because of constitutional reasons, and having a parliament government also plays role. As long as the elite opinions remains sufficiently united, public support cannot easily translate into legislative action (Manderey, 2005). Having said all these, Europeans, as individuals, may also react similarly like the Americans.

There is a saying in the marketing world that “there is no such thing as bad publicity”. Does that apply in the Benetton case?

Yes, it does. This is because when Benetton group released their highly controversial ads, despite having a decline in sales and their products being banned in some countries, the company gained popularity and became the center of discussions and debates. They have successfully created a “buzz” and made their name known around