Nikita Arora's Blog

What are the first thoughts that come across your mind when you hear the words “United Colors of Benetton” ?!?

Good brand..fantastic clothing !?!!?

However,the fact behind such fantastic clothes is not too fantastic.It goes back to the late 80’s when the company adopted United Colors as its logo.And,to publicise this campaign, the head photopgrapher Oliviera Toscani,created ads with shocking images unrelated to any actual products being sold by the company !

One of the ads featured a deathbed scene of a man dying from AIDS.Others included an unwashed newborn baby with umbilical cord still attached-which turned out to be highly controversial.This 1991 ad prompted more than 800 complaints to the British Standard Advertising Authority and was featured in the Guiness Book of World Record 2000 as the “most controverisal campaign” .Others included two horses mating,a cemetry of mainly crosslike tombstones,close up pictures of  tatooes reading HIV +ve on the bodies of men and women,a priest and nun about to engage in a romantic kiss,a collage of genitals of of people from different races, and an ad showing a white girl as a princess with blonde curls and a black girl as a devil with black horns !

Although there is no doubt that the quality of the clothes and other accesssories designed by UCB is relatively very superior to its peer competitors.However,the question is , does that permit them to talk about racism,AIDS,feminism or religion  ?In my opinion,the answer is NO.It is simply very unethical and totally bootleg to advertise and comment on such sensitive issues on a world wide scale.And,just referring to the last example,is small kids were to see that ad,those innocent souls would just grow up to believe that white is better than black !

Think about it !