Benneton Ad Analisis

Benetton’s Human Right Campaign

Unlike other companies, Benetton always takes its advertising campaigns differently than the others, it always takes it as something special. They have been forerunners of what is called nowadays shockvertising and the advertisement I wish to present is one of their shockvertise ads well know around the world. Is it possible to persuade anybody using shockvertising? Oliviero Toscani, one of the most famous representatives of this direction, says yes. In this paper I shall try to ponder on how people from different cultures perceive Benetton’s advertisements and if is it ethical to promote the image of a commercial company using global problems like racisms, wars or (the environmental) pollution.

Benetton’s advertisements are best examples of the most successful, most unique and probably most shocking forms of advertising in the world. It was said that: “scandal and renown promotes brand more effectively than “typical” ads”. Almost all Benetton’s ads create scandal wherever and whenever they are presented. Controversial ads most of the times are connected with astonishment, using taboo subjects like: sex, death or cruelty. The first step is to introduce a controversial poster, which arouses emotions among the societies. After that, the machine starts to work, and depending on the culture the poster is going to be stigmatized or not. Whenever the contents of the ad are really controversial, local ethic organizations take legal action and because of that the company’s brand becomes more and more popular. For example, a nun and a priest kissing was too much for catholic Italy, the photo of a blood stained t-shirt of a dead Bosnian was prohibited in Norway, however, surprisingly it wasn’t banned in neighboring Finland. United Colors of Benetton’s advertising campaigns are a good example of using people’s emotions to a commercial aim. And because of those campaigns the green logo has become well known worldwide.

Benetton has always been a pioneer in advertising and in March 1998 they also surprised the world with its new advertising campaign about Human Rights. The beautiful faces of children from all round the world make an ideal frame for the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The overtone of photos of children from different races underlined by white background so that viewers can consider only them is completely clear. This element and the whole idea is universal worldwide, wherever it is presented everybody understands that: “everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country”. This meaning is obvious and it does not cause anyone’s objections. The problem is the second meaning, a little green logo on the right. Wherever it is considered, there are always supporters and opponents of using global problems to promote one’s own brand.

The enthusiast may say that the logo is really