Benetton Receives Hate for its ‘Unhate’ Campaign

The United Colors of Benetton is at the centre of controversy after the company's new 'Unhate' campaign showed some of the world's leading political figures locking lips.

Benetton's advertising campaign addressed some of the most vital conflicts in global politics and turned them on their head in six striking, amusing images. These include North Korea's Kim-Jong Il kissing South Korean president Lee Myung-bak in a passionate embrace, while President Obama gets cosy with Venezualan president, Hugo Chavez.

A statement from the brand said that they 'seek 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.'

Not surprisingly, the campaign has been widely condemned and been labelled as disrespectful. The Vatican formally requested that images of the Pope be removed, and even threatened legal action against the brand. Benetton has since complied with their requests and taken down the image of the Pope sharing the love with Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb, an Egyptian Imam.

Have Benetton overstepped the line here? Conservative homophobes across the globe seem to think so. However, if a handful of photoshopped images of world-famous leaders are enough to cause such a reaction, we really should applaud this well-executed advertising campaign and its clear message of acceptance and tolerance.

[Via PSFK]