UNHATE, The United Colors of Benetton’s Newest Foundation

by Paul Lemmerick in BRANDING, DONOVAN WORLD, SOCIAL MEDIA

17

Nov
2011

FILED UNDER

VIA Copyranter

As part of a new initiative against intolerance and hatred around the world, the United Colors of Benetton has launched the UNHATE Foundation in conjunction with the UNHATE Advertising Campaign. Benetton is inviting “the leaders and cultures of the world to combat the ‘culture of hatred.’”

(United States President Barack Obama with Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela)

Stated in a press release from the UNHATE Foundation:

The UNHATE Foundation, desired and founded by
the Benetton Group, seeks to contribute to the creation
of a new culture of tolerance, to combat hatred,
building on Benetton’s underpinning values. It is
another important step in the group’s social
responsibility strategy:not a cosmetic exercise,
but a contribution that will have a real impact
on the international community, especially through
the vehicle of communication, which can reach
social players in different areas.

(North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Il and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak)

(German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy)

(The Pope and Ahmed Mohamed el-Tayeb, Imam of the Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo)

The impact they desired is likely the one they received. News sources from around the world have reacted to the campaign posters, quickly dividing themselves into two camps: love it or hate it. Even people here in Edmonton are expressing strong opinions on the subject. Many (not just from Edmonton) have taken deep offence to the depiction of the Pope and Ahmed Mohamed el-Tayeb. The Catholic Church has even issued a request to the United Colours of Benetton to have this particular image removed from the advertising campaign. The current absence of this particular advertisement on the UNHATE Campaign site indicates that the United Colors of Benetton capitulated to the request.

But the UNHATE campaign is about more than just these posters. Learn about their art collaboration projects with children from areas that have experienced conflict, and check out their interactive project that lets you kiss a bunch of strangers.

It’s an interesting move for a clothing company to make, but not exactly uncharted territory for Benetton. Read more about their controversial, over-the-top advertising campaigns from years past on CreativeReview.co.uk (first image is NSFW) and The Guardian.

Paul Lemmerick is a Copywriter at DONOVAN. Comments on this post or suggestions for future topics are welcome.