Media Effects: Benetton

In this project I would like to focus on media effects, in fact, especially on impacts of advertising used on individuals, society and culture. What I am really interested in is the message content and convention, and context effects presented in specific ads. The message then I compare with the reaction of general public. For this purpose I have chosen very well known company called Benetton and its campaign. On this example I would like to apply some of the generally known media affect theories and test them how they fit and influence the whole process of advertising.

From the beginning of cooperation with Italian photographer Oliviero Toscani, Benetton has been criticized for its fashion campaign of United color of Benetton. The Italian textile producer flooded mainly the western parts of Europe, United States and Japan with a campaign, which completely turned the traditional advertising presentation up side down. This explosion of creativity was not based on exhibiting the company’s products, which are by the way colorful pullovers, clothing and other accessories, and even did not contain any catching slogans. The posters presented controversial images touching social issues and the only connection with the Benetton company was a small green rectangle in the corner with a written brand name: United colors of Benetton. The creative director of Benetton O.Toscani to this issue said, that the controversial images are designed to raise public awareness of social issues and position the company as a cutting-edge, socially conscious marketer (Introduction to Advertising and Promotion, p. 284).

As the reaction of many criticisms from all over the world, Toscani wrote a book called “Advertising is a smiling carrion”. As well as his photographs, his book is shocking but uncovers motives, which have led the creation of campaign so unusual that resulted in several trials in many countries. Toscani criticizes contemporary advertising companies, their creative people and photographers for blindness in creativity, discourage and the lost of honor and accuses them of portraying an ideal world which doesn’t exist. He proclaims that agencies spent millions of their customer’s money for poor worn ad stereotypes instead of creating something new, communicative with the audience.

And now, let’s turn our attention to cases, in this meaning to individual photographs, which became the center of attention of a wide audience and opened intensive public debate. The most well known motifs were: Black woman nursing white baby; Two hands, one black and one white connected by handcuffs; Small black child’s hand in big white ones; Two boys, one black and one white sitting on potties together; Wooden puppets of varying tones moving the same direction; Freshly born baby; Condoms of different colors; Oil-polluted duck; Priest kissing nun; Military cemetery with Star of David; Dying AIDS patient; T-shirt of Bosnian soldier; Container with refugees etc.

Media abandoned some of the posters and some of them were even prohibited by the jurisdiction in several countries. So here the questions arise: What are the intentions of Benetton? Do they really believe that this kind of presentation will increase the participation of public on these issues? They surely do, otherwise they would not spend money on it. Of course, such unusual presentation emphasizes the Benetton brand, however research didn’t confirm that people are buying more Benetton´s product because of its social involvement (Introduction to Advertising and Promotion, p. 545).

Although researchers haven’t proven increasing Beneton´s profit because of opinion belonging with their customers, the company keeps going on in their advertising ideology. One of the reasons for such action could be the trust in positive media effects. Different critics and opinions published in magazines, newspapers and books, serve as a good example that media (advertising) do not effect all people all the time in the same manner and force audience to perform actively rather than passively. This sort of view supports the perspective of limited media effect introduced during 1930s and 1940s (Introduction to media communication, p.81). Benetton through the years of running its “shock” campaign has proven how advertising can help in creating accumulation theory. In 1991 Benetton introduced its first campaign about AIDS and safer sex. A photograph featuring colored condoms carried a mission to demystify their existence by presenting them as fashion items in a humorous and colorful light (appendix 1). Breaking the censorship of portraying condoms in media was the best task of preventing the spread of AIDS. Simultaneously with the printing presentation condoms were distributed in its shops. The campaign stirred things up in Italy and the United States. In the U.S. the image was censored by media because of the trace of “pornography” and thus inappropriate for traditional distribution.

If we look back now, the Benetton campaign did a historical step into the forbidden world. Nowadays, children and youngsters are informed what AIDS means, how H.I.V. is transmitted and how important is sexual responsibility. Billboards, ads in magazines or sponsorship of public entertainment which present different brands of condoms are nothing unusual (especially in liberal Europe).

Another examples of Benetton´s craziness or wisdom are images connected with war, genocide or politics. Photographs portraying soldiers, guns, dying or dead people and suffering of ordinary citizens in war cannot really win positive reaction of everybody (Appendix 2). I know that Toscani´s intention is to open our eyes but cultivation analysis theory just works against him. We are not used to see the reality on billboards, while we go to work, we love to be deceived. Some truth is better not to see.

Yes, we can, and I want to, believethat Benetton runs its campaign just because of social attitudes and purposes but some critics claim that it is the profit which forms Benetton´s reasons. Here are the words of Peter Fressola, a Benetton North America spokesman: “Yes, we mean to shock some people with our ads. But people who are shocked by this have been living in a cocoon. They need to be shocked into seeing what’s really going on in the world. We believe that when that many people see an image this powerful, it can raise their collective consciousness. And that can result in action.” (Introduction to Advertising and Promotion, p. 284).

I can proclaim that Beneton´s campaign influenced a lot of people and opened discussion of advertising, ethics, media restrictions, politics, social issues, etc. So I can suggest now that media (advertising) are affective in influencing agendas, give us a sense of self and shape our environment.