Vatican to Benetton: Kiss Off!

Take a look at Benetton’s ‘Unhate’ campaignBy Joyce LiThe United Colors of Benetton’s recent ad campaign has stirred up controversy with an unorthodox marketing strategy to sell scarves and sweaters.The billboard and print ads show photoshopped images of world leaders kissing each other. The images sparked an immediate and angry outcry, loudest from the Vatican for showing Pope Benedict XVI smooching with an Egyptian Imam, Ahmed el Tayyeb. The ad campaign also shows President Obama kissing Chinese leader, Hu Jintao and Venezuelean leader, Hugo Chavez.In the cluttered advertising landscape, Benetton, the Italian luxury clothing company, seems desperate to make its mark. “This is their way of breaking through,” says Edward Keller, an MCA professor at City College. “In today's media, good advertisements need to break through to be effective whether controversial or not.”The Vatican didn’t see it that way.  Vatican spokesman, Federico Lombardi called the manipulated photo of the Pope and the Iman "a grave lack of respect."His quote in the Daily News: “It was not only offensive to the sentiments of the faithful, but a clear example of how advertising can violate rules of respect for people to attract attention through provocation.”After the Vatican threatened legal action, Benetton pulled the smooching Pope ad from the “Unhate” campaign. A spokesperson told the Washington Post:  "We are sorry that the use of the image of the Pope and the Imam has so offended the sentiments of the faithful. In corroboration of our intentions, we have decided, with immediate effect, to withdraw this image from every publication.”Drama aside, was the ad effective? "Certainly, for shock value it got attention and that seemed to be the goal of Benetton’s campaign,” says Professor Keller.CCNY junior, Tayfun Kucuk agrees. “The print ads are definitely controversial because we live in such a close-minded society,” says Kucuk. “But the campaign is a good idea. It can maybe cause a system shock where people would finally realize that there’s nothing wrong with it.”CCNY senior Connie Lam, an Ad/PR major, notes, “People shouldn’t take offense because it’s just an advertisement. They’re doing it for a cause but it is a little weird that they would use these images to sell clothes.”Kucuk concludes: “Maybe the campaign would have been better if there were real pictures instead of photoshopped images. Obama seems like he got swagger.”