How Italian apparel brand uses shock advertising to promote its products and services under the umbrella of Corporate Social Responsibility.

1. Shock Advertising
By
United Colors of Benetton
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2. CONTENT
1. Introduction 3
2. An Overview 5
3. Institutional Campaigns 6
4. Ad Campaigns 9
5. Unique Concept 15
6. Benetton in India 19
7. Campaigns by Benetton
Indian Conditions 22
8. SWOT Analysis 24
9. Bibliography 26
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3. Introduction
Benetton is a global clothing brand, based in Treviso, Italy. The name comes from the four
members of the Benetton family namely Luciano, Giuliana, Gilberto and Carlo Benetton. Its
core business is clothing, a group with strong Italian character whose style, quality and passion
are seen in its brands.
The success story began in 1955 Luciano Benetton, the eldest of four children, was only 20
years old and was working as a salesman in Treviso, Italy. He realized that people wanted color
in their lives and especially in their clothes. He sold a younger brother’s bicycle in order to buy
the first second-hand knitting machine, and began to market a small collection of sweaters to
local stores in the area of Veneto, Italy. The positive reaction to his designs was only the
beginning of the solid start. Soon after, he asked his sister and his two younger brothers,
Gilberto and Carlo, to join him. In 1968, the Benettons opened their first store in Belluno and
the year after in Paris, with Luciano as chairman, his brother Gilberto as in-charge of
administration, their younger brother Carlo running production and sister Giuliana as a chief
designer.
Benetton Group's corporate headquarters is located at Villa Minelli in Ponzano, about 30 km
from Venice. Villa Minelli is a complex of sixteenth century buildings of great historical and
cultural interest. The villa was acquired by Benetton in 1969 and the task of restoring and
remodernising the complex, entrusted to architects Afra and Tobia Scarpa, took over fifteen
years. From the mid 1980s Villa Minelli became the headquarters of the Group and home to all
its strategic functions.
Today, Benetton is 40 and as part of its anniversary celebrations the multinational with 5000
stores around the world is putting on an exhibition at the Pompidou Centre staged by
Fabrica.Benetton Group is present in 120 countries around the world. The Group produces over
130 million garments every year. Its retail network of 5,000 contemporary stores around the
world, offers high quality customer services and generates a total turnov14er of over 1.9 billion
euro. The group provides employment to 7,987 people around the world. Benetton group is
listed on Borsa Italiana, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange. The
€1.91 billion (2006 sales) Benetton group, which owns four fashion brands, has a dominant
presence in Europe, which accounts for 84% of global sales. Asia contributes another 12%.
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4. BRANDS ARE:
United Colors of Benetton
A global brand, and one of the most well known in the world, United Colors of Benetton has an
international style that combines color, energy and practicality. The womenswear,
menswear, childrenswear and underwear collections offer a total look for everyday, for work
and for leisure, in the city and outdoors. The brand is broadening its horizons, expanding into
new areas of merchandise from Home Collection to baby products, travel bags and new
perfumes.
Under Colors of Benetton
Undercolors is an extension of the Benetton brand, featuring underwear, beachwear and
sleepwear collections, as well as accessories for women, men and children. A wide selection of
recurring basic colors is enriched every season with the latest trends. Undercolors is available
in its own chain of stores which now has more than 500 locations in thirty countries and in
selected Benetton Shops.
Sisley
This is the Group’s most trend-setting brand, at the forefront of fashion. Season after season,
its bold, forceful collections full of fashion ideas set the trends for young, dynamic women and
men. Its creative artists and sales team concentrate their efforts on its image and on strong-
impact advertising campaigns.
Playlife
Playlife is Benetton’s leisurewear label. Collections for men and women offer a casual yet
sporty look designed to provide maximum comfort, freedom of use, unrestricted by any single
sporting discipline. Footwear and accessories complete the collection reflecting the latest
trends.
Killer Loop
A brand with a strong "Street" connotation dedicated to young people, Killer Loop has become
an icon for a dynamic lifestyle thanks to its assertive clothing and footwear ranges.
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5. An Overview
1960 The idea of color
1965 Benetton Group was established
1969 First Benetton Store outside Italy (Paris)
1974 Sisley enters group brand portfolio.
1978 Group exports 60% of brand production.
1980 Opening of the first New York store, in Madison Avenue.
1982 Opening of the first store in Tokyo, collaboration with Olivero
Toscani begins.
1983 The Group enters Formula One as sponsor of the Tyrrel team.
1985 Benetton Advertising wins the “Grand Prix de la Publicite” in
France. It is the first in a series of acknowledgments that together
with critics and censorship, fosters debate in many countries around
the world.
1988 The group got listed on Milan and Frankfurt Stock Exchanges.
1989 The group got listed on New York Stock Exchange.
Entry into East Europe and former Soviet Union markets.
1991 Creation of “Colors”, a magazine, on sale in 40 countries and published
in 4 languages.
1994 “Fabrica” Benetton Group Communication research center is created.
1998 Fabrica cinema was created
2000 Fabrica Music was created.
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6. Institutional Campaigns
“Communication should never be commissioned from outside the company, but conceived
from within its heart.”
Luciano Benetton
The above statement by Luciano Benetton forms the base of Benetton’s advertising campaigns.
Through their universal impact, they have succeeded in attracting the attention of the public
and in standing out amid the current clutter of images. The campaigns have gathered awards
and acclaim worldwide; by the same token, they have aroused strong reactions - at times
ferocious, at times simply curious, confirming once again that they are always a focal point of
discussion and of confrontation of ideas.
By running Institutional campaigns, Benetton aims at informing people about what is happening
around them in the world rather than promoting sales of their products. These kinds of
advertisement campaigns notifies to the people that company is a responsible business entity
and its management takes socially responsible actions and supports the realistic pattern of the
society.
By entering the universe of values, the brand frees the product from the world of merchandise
and manufacturing and makes it a social being of its own. By addressing an individual rather
than a customer, the brand can identify its target on the basis not of age or income, but of a
shared vision of what is important, starting from a set of common values.
“All the colors of the world” was one of the first slogans to appear in Benetton ads, and was
later altered to “United Colors of Benetton.” The concept of united colors was such a strong
one that for the first time in its history, the company adopted the slogan as its actual logo. For
the first time in the history of commercial trademarks, the slogan United Colors of Benetton
became a trademark.
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7. These images showed youth and children of both sexes and every skin tone, giving the message
of racial integration. A trademark that became the driving force behind the “United Colors”
message, which formed the basis of the advertising visuals, was designed to create a growing
network of “United People.”
Benetton’s long journey toward its destiny as a subverter of stereotypes began with its
cooperation with Oliviero Toscani in 1982 when he joined Benetton and his early works
presented youthful images from culturally diverse nations. By linking the varying colors in the
Benetton collection to the diverse “colors” of its world’s customers, Toscani presented a
theme of racial harmony and world peace.
Happy groups of multiracial kids were replaced by “couples” representing an all-new
interpretation of difference. In this cycle, the word “different” became a close cousin of
“controversial.”
Benetton had a plan
• To integrate opposites,
• To unite differences under a single flag
The flag of its own logo. In this phase, the “product” gradually disappeared from the
advertisements.
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8. In 1991, Benetton group introduced a shift in their creative approach, when they completely
removed Benetton merchandise from the advertising. Instead Toscani, creative director of
Benetton, assumed a strategy in which social issues played a major role – allowing for a
communication on themes relevant to everyone, everywhere. The ads were a means to draw
attention to important social problems and thereby generate public discussion.
After equality and the exaltation of differences, Benetton turned to the reality of what is
common to all and shared by humankind. The dialogue that Benetton had begun with its
“consumers” gained depth.
In 1991, during the Gulf War, this image was created, a photo of a war cemetery.
Published in just one newspaper in Italy, Il Sole 24 Ore, because all the others refused to print
it, this photo signaled a break with the previous campaigns. The style became “realistic,”
introducing depth of field, and a bit of “real life” burst into the artificially sweetened universe
of advertising. This unique photo prompted hundreds of articles all over the world.
Benetton’s institutional ad campaigns created stir and raised controversies across the world
because of its shocking images, but at the same time these ads are awarded and acclaimed all
over the globe. Benetton says it has a different reason for using this type of advertising:
Benetton’s creative director, Oliviero Toscani, says the controversial images are designed to
raise public awareness of social issues and position the company as a cutting edge, socially
conscious marketer.
Benetton's communications strategy was developed, as a result of the company's desire to
produce images of global concern for its global customers. The communication strategy targets
issues rather than clothes as the leading player, with a portion of the advertising budget
devoted to communicating themes relevant to young and old people worldwide.
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9. Ad Campaigns
(1) Contrasts in Black & Whites
In 1989, print ads below appeared as a part of the campaign “Contrasts in Black & White”
and were designed to promote racial equality.
The true spirit of the ad was to convey the idea that “equality goes beyond knee-jerk
reactions and conventional perceptions”. The Image black woman nursing white baby was
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10. awarded the 16th Grand Prix for best poster and Olivero Toscani won the Lion d’Or at the
Cannes Festival for the campaign. The “Handcuffs” and “Breastfeeding” ads were set out
to develop a sense of common humanity that transcends skin colors.
(2) Benetton’s Children
February 1990 saw a campaign that was based on dualism between black and white.
This campaign marked the concept of unity and diversity. The images won awards in
Austria, France, Great Britain, Holland and United States.
(3) Angels and Devil
This ad campaign in September 1991, was an attempt on the part of the company to
feature images from the real world, which have social and universal relevance, in order to
breakthrough the barrier of indifference which often surrounds these issues.
The ad campaign had dual objectives:
• At one time it marks the concept of racial equality
• And at the same time it also shows to the world the harsh reality of racism, by
making the hair of the black girl like horns and depicting it as a “devil”.
(4) Priest and Nun
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11. This ad campaign was also launched in September 1991, again an attempt to breakthrough the
barrier of indifference which often surround the issues. The ‘recognized fact’ is that Priests
and Nuns vow to lead a life of celibacy, so this scene should not happen. But the deeper
message is in the color of the clothes they wear, and that it seems that the black Priest is in
some way leading the Nun astray, again challenging racial equality issues but in an ironic
fashion.
(5) AIDS
This ad campaign was launched by Benetton in February 1992. The ad showed the terrifying
sight of a body devastated by HIV virus. It’s an image of a man dying of AIDS, surrounded by
his family members.
The ad shows, a way to denounce the dangers of AIDS and a means of continuing the battle
against this terrible disease after the death. This ad won the “European Art Director Club”
award for the best campaign and the “Houston International Center of Photography’s Infinity
Award”. The print was exhibited in American, French, Italian, Swiss and German museums. In
2003 the photo was included in the Life magazine collection ‘100 Photos that changed the
world’.
Other AIDS campaigns that the company launched were in September 1993 and September
1994.
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12. September 1993
Three photographs: a backside, a lower abdomen and an arm, each marked with the letters HIV
Positive are used as metaphors for the more extensive branding practiced throughout society
towards those who are different. The images clearly represent the main channels of the
transmission of HIV virus. These photos forced people to think about an illness of which we
were all aware, but many prefer not to acknowledge.
September 1994
In this ad, over one thousand young peoples' portraits from all over
the word computer-processed spell out the word AIDS. The faces
are smiling. But over each and every one of them hangs an
unknown fate in the shape of the illness that has become a
metaphor for the late twentieth century, an illness that has changed the fabric of our society.
Followed by these campaigns Benetton started distributing free colored condoms in their retail
outlets. Also the ads came at the time when AIDS was the most burning and somewhat quite
unawared topic of the world. The early 90’s were a critical period in the history of AIDS. AIDS
was a new illness, and society was not as informed as nowadays. Infact people with AIDS were
seen as social outcasts.
(6) Bosnian Soldier
The campaign was launched in 1994, when there was a war going on in Bosnia. The
advertisement follows a very global, universal and homogenous theme of war, peace and
suffering.
The blood-drenched uniform a soldier depicts the harsh reality of war. The strength of this ad
is that it is a real image of uniform of Marinko Gagro, a soldier who died in the war of Bosnia.
The ad has a single line body copy which says “The language in the ad belong to the dictionary
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13. western world does not want to open”. This image shows mirror to the world, by showing the
suffering of a soldier.
The strongest point of this ad is that it carries real information i.e. a real uniform of a real
soldier, who fought a real battle, faced real bullets in real situations and circumstances.
Nothing in this ad is scripted or fake. Its reality and simplicity increases its effectiveness.
Amnesty International (an NGO in Britain, which fights for Human Rights), applauded tha ad for
drawing people’s attention towards the war and a daily newspaper of Sarajevo, (Capital of
Bosnia) asked Benetton for posters of the ad to plaster across the city.
(7) Hearts
The ad campaign was launched by Benetton on 21 st March, 1996 to commemorate “World’s
Anti-Racism Day”. This campaign continued the Benetton’s work on racism by showing White,
Yellow and Black hearts in its ad.
The ad portrayed that everybody is the same inside, no matter what the outside skil color is.
(8) Wooden Spoon
This campaign was launched by Benetton in collaboration with FAO in October 1996.
A wooden spoon on a white background, symbolizes mankind’s relationship with food, or with
hunger. The simplest of tools to evoke the oldest of human gestures; putting food to one’s
mouth. This ad campaign was Benetton Group’s contribution to the advertising of the
forthcoming World Food Summit that was being held in Rome from 13 to 17 November 1996.
In response to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization)’s request that Italy’s top businesses
showed an interest in the problem of world hunger, United Colors of Benetton planned an
international campaign for Rome, Paris, Brussels, London, Amsterdam and Madrid, which was
published in Le Monde, The Times, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Corriere della Sera and the
New York Times, with the purpose of informing international public opinion of the importance
of the Summit and making people aware of the enormous problems of feeding humanity.
This joint venture with the FAO ws an important acknowledgment of the value and quality of
Benetton’s advertising campaigns, which for over a decade have focused on social issues of
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14. world importance, such as peace, the fight against racism and respect for diversity. It was also
one in a series of co-operative projects undertaken with major humanitarian organizations.
(9) Human Rights
With this campaign which was launched in March 1998, Benetton in conglomeration with United
Nations celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights.
Ad: 1 Ad:2
Beautiful faces of children from all round the world, made an ideal frame for the principles of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The aim was to remind world and generate public
opinion of people’s fundamental rights, as individuals and as members of social groups.
The body copy said :
“Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his own
country (Art. 13)” – Ad 1
“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights (art1)” – Ad 2
(10)Food for Life
Benetton communication campaign for 2003 focused on food, which can mean health,
education, liberation, work, peace and hope for future.
Food for Life Food for Peace Food to go Home
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15. Food for Protection Food for Stability Food for Education
The global communication campaign for 2003, co-developed by United Colors of Benetton and
the World Food Programme, the United Nations frontline agency in the fight against global
hunger, re-establishes hunger as the world’s most fundamental problem, since it is largely
overlooked by both media and public opinion. These are the real images which were taken in
Afghanistan, Cambodia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, to show poverty and crisis.
This ad campaigns shows how food becomes a catalyst for reconciliation and development, a
tool capable of revolutionizing the lives of hungry individuals. These images tell the individual
stories men, women and children- whose only chances of escaping violence, marginalization
and poverty depend on them finding food.
Unique Concept
Benetton’s intuitional campaigns carry a big idea, a unique concept of showing shocking images
to the world. The idea behind using shocking images was an effort by Benetton to breakthrough
the complacency that exists in our society. By removing these images from their familiar
contexts and putting them in a new context, make the more likely to be noticed, as the viewer
becomes involved in process of answering the questions: What does this image mean? Why does
this image appears with the Benetton logo? How do I feel about the subject of the image? What
can I do? When images have shock value, they attract many people’s attention. People are
bound to think about the image in the ad and thus know some of the world’s problems in the
process.
In present over-communicated world, people are bombarded with ads, ads in newspapers,
magazines, radio, Television, Internet, bill-boards, hoarding ete, and the list in endless.
Advertisements have intruded in people’s personal lives so much, that now a stage has come
where people don’t even want to look at ads and in between all this ads with social messages is
big NO to even look at. Ads come and go leaving very less or almost no impact on people’s
mind. To make a long lasting impact on people’s mind, the ad has to be unique and different.
With this kind of an audience behavior and scenario, Benetton group very creatively employs
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16. the strategy of using shocking images in its ad so as to break through the clutter of ads and
make its message visible to people.
Benetton’s shocking ads are designed to raise public awareness of social issues, issues that are
global and universal. Using shocking images people are forced to think about the topic.
Something shocking is required to make some people come out of their world. The mere seeing
of the images in the Benetton’s advertisements can strike a chord in the viewer’s mind
regarding social issues. Benetton ads carry a power to raise people’s collective consciousness
which might also influence and insist them to take a positive constructive action.
Copy Thinking and Copy style
Unlike traditional advertisements, Benetton ads do not have any image of the company’s
product and ads may or may not carry a body copy. The ads only have an image that grabs
audience attention in just a glance and a logo. Company carries out a single campaigns that
runs all over the world. These ads do not tell anyone to buy company’s products and not even
imply it. The attempt is only to promote discussion about issues which people might ignore if
presented to them through some other channel. Hence, it is an advertising that speaks across
all cultural boundaries and raises social awareness by presenting powerful human and universal
themes.
These ads are unable to ignore at a single glance. The message in the ads can be understood at
a single glance. The impact of the ads is such that audience retains the message for a very long
period of time. The ads do not create any drama; they are simple and very effective. As soon
as one sees these kinds of ads, the message that the ads have in them, directly goes into the
minds of audience. These ads try to bring opposites and differences under a single flag of
“United Colors of Benetton”. By taking common social causes that are universally acclaimed
and discussed, Benetton appeals to each and every strata of the world irrespective of any
creed, color, caste and nationality.
By such kind of ads, Benetton helps in creating social awareness on global issues. When the
emotional sides of the masses are targeted the message is conveyed faster as there are no
logics applied here. Emotions are fast, catchy, and memorable. Emotional appeals lead to
better attention getting, better processing of information, and better retention in memory.
Because these appeals are often (but not always) nonverbal they are also quicker to
communicate. A picture speaks faster than a sentence and, once again, this type of
“spontaneous” communication has an impact very different and often more complete than that
of “symbolic” communication using words. Emotions are permanent.
The only aim and objective of Benetton ads is to spread the message of peace and awareness
in a very clear and concise manner. In this process, if it employs the strategy of using shocking
images in its ads, and if the message is conveyed effectively around the globe, then Benetton
should be praised for their efforts of creating social consciousness.
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17. The images that Benetton uses doesn’t come from outside. Images are born in society itself and
Benetton just surfaces and showcase them. People when exposed to false glamorous world,
feels quite satisfied and happy about the ads but when mirrored against
the harsh reality of truth, they get uncomfortable and complain. The idea of the images comes
from the real world’s circumstances and situations. The ads just try to focuses the issues that
are already existing in the society, Benetton or its ad creators does not create problems or
social issues, they just make people stand in front of the mirror of their ads and compels them
to think, which otherwise no one wants to and work upon.
Although the ads never featured any of the label's clothing, they brought the Benetton name
front as a source of debate and inspiration.
The message in the ads has characteristics:
• Clear: easily to be understood target audience. Bo Body copy and no complex images
make the message speed faster and clear for a very long time in the minds of target
audience.
• Short: With a single image and a single campaign all across the globe, the ads are easy
to remember.
• Summarize: Only a single message summarizes the concept and objective of the ads
The promotional messages of Benetton can be regarded as one the most effective
advertisements spread across billboards and magazine pages.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Today, Benetton is present in 120 countries over the world, employs more than 7000 people
residing in these countries and is selling its products to millions of people of these countries.
Being such a big and famous brand, it becomes social responsibility and social
function of the group to aware people about whatever is happening around them. By giving
socially conscious ads, the company has succeeded in fulfilling its function and has
communicated to its consumers that company has a responsible management who takes care of
the world’s problems in the process.
Benetton's advertising campaigns have centered on social issues and current worldwide issues
such as AIDS, peace, war, and death. Many of their communications initiatives support
international humanitarian associations.
Benetton’s advertising campaigns evokes positive response among the global audience and also
focuses company’s activities in research development, quality control, consumer service and
social service programs.
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18. The concept of Benetton ads i.e. using of shocking images in its advertisements is very similar
to a Mass Communication theory of “Hypodermic Needle Theory: or “Instinctive Stimulus
Response Theory”. This is a first theory of Mass Communication.
As the theory postulates that mass media messages have a direct, immediate and powerful
effect in mass audience, so does the ads of Benetton, whose shocking images make direct and
powerful impact on people’s mind for a very long period of time. Benetton institutional ads can
also be seen as a giant hypodermic needle which is pecking and plunging at a passive audience.
This strait forward theory by Lazarsfled Kartz forms the basis of the Benetton social ads. As a
giant needle pecks and plunges, in same way shocking images used by Benetton in its ads
create discussions and debate worldwide.
The campaigns have won numerous awards, prizes and acclaim in all of the countries in which
the company is present; however, they also have aroused various strong reactions. Benetton is
aware of the controversy that surrounds the images of these campaigns.
However, they believe that all worthwhile stances will have critics and supporters. Benetton
hopes that people will move away from the discussion of whether or not a company is entitled
to show its point of view in its advertising campaigns, to a discussion of the issues themselves.
This has occurred in some countries already, which supports the company's goal of becoming
the vehicle for discussion rather than its focus.
Peter Frossola, a Benetton North America spokesman said, “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 many
people see a powerful image, it can raise their collective consciousness. And that can result in
action.”
Thus, making passive audience to come out of their cocoon and start thinking about the
sensitive and most discussed issues of the world. In this case, the medium of Mass
Communication used is advertising which carries Benetton’s social messages to the audience
who are passive and socially unconscious.
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19. Benetton in India
The Benetton group is present in the country through a joint venture with DCM Ltd. Today, DCM
Benetton operates about 80 stores in the country under the United Colors of Benetton brand.
As a brand, Benetton has made good progress in the Indian market and urban consumers are
now generally aware of its unique emphasis upon knits and colors. The Indian venture is
generally expected to make good progress now since Benetton is also planning to cater to other
Asian markets from this unit. To meet consumer needs, the company is planning to bring in the
megastore concept into Delhi and Mumbai.
Gagan Singh, managing director of Benetton India, said “In 2005, Benetton celebrated the
fifteenth anniversary of its presence in India, which represents a significant competitive
advantage in a market rich in history and tradition, but which is, at the same time, strategic to
the development of business in Asia.”
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20. In India, Benetton's advertising is concentrated on a renewed focus of communication.
Benetton's image in India was considered a "discounted" brand, since they usually limited their
advertising to only two end-of-season sales. However, recent television commercials were
received positively by both franchisees and consumers. This kind of positive feedback could
result in a new opportunity for Benetton by focusing more on media channels such as television
and radio, rather than billboards or magazines.
Benetton has decided to introduce one more brand, Sisley, which would target at more trendy
and fashionable customers in India. It has formed a strategic partnership with India’s Trent, to
manage and extend the reach of Benetton’s premium fashion brand “Sisley” in India. Trent,
one of the two retailing arms of Tata group, is one of the fastest growing, pure retail play
company in the country. It is known for its premium lifestyle, flagship, retail brand “Westside.”
The partnership agreement will pave the way for opening and managing a number of Sisley
stores in India’s major cities, says a media release issued by Benetton.
The new partnership will enable the Benetton Group to boost its presence in India, a key
market for the entire continent, where it has been operating for over 15 years and already
counts around 140 United Colors of Benetton shops. Sisley’s presence in India began only a few
months back with the opening of three pilot stores in New Delhi. These stores have already
achieved a significant success. In the next few months, Sisley plans to open stores in top
shopping streets of two of India’s most dynamic cities: Hyderabad and Bangalore.
While almost 50 per cent of the garments required for Benetton's Indian stores are
manufactured in its Guragon unit, sourcing is also done through contract vendors. Increasing its
emphasis on India as an outsourcing hub globally, Benetton's production plans for India are in
excess of 6 million units by 2007.
Benetton's worldwide communication strategy has traditionally recognized the power of still
images. In India, however, the company focuses only on the product campaign. In accordance
with its philosophy of not indulging in stereotyped methods of communication such as
television commercials, United Colors of Benetton is planning to launch a bi-monthly magazine
in India called Colors.
Ad Campaigns in India
(1) Hard Working Ants
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21. Hard Working Ants
Advertising Agency: Ogilvy&Mather, New Delhi, India
Published in March 2007
The ad campaign encourages ‘Indians to work hard as ants to take their country from
developing to the developed country.
(2) Bangles
Advertising Agency: Ogilvy&Mather, New Delhi, India.
The ad campaign emphasizes on the problems of women in India. Broken bangles signify the
problems that are faced by her at personal, social and professional fronts. This ad tries to
empower women in Indian Society to fight against all odds and make the world know your
importance.
The basic idea of the ad is to convey that one should be as hard working as ants. Some of the
Indian issues on which Benetton can run institutional campaign are:
(a) Poverty
(b) Population Explosion
(c) Pollution
(d) Child Labor
(e) Child Marriage
(f) Female Infanticides
(g) Unemployment
(h) Red Tapism
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22. (i) Child Education
(j) Domestic Violence
(k) Dowry Deaths
(l) Drugs & alcoholism
(m) Illiteracy
(n) Drugs and alcoholism
(o) Changing Indian culture
Campaigns by Benetton : Indian Conditions
Road Trauma
A campaign by Benetton with WHO (World Health Organization), which holds true to Delhi’s
current problem of ROAD TRAUMA.
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23. Road trauma is a leading cause of death and lingering disability around the world. However,
low and middle income countries bear a disproportionate part of the global burden. As safety
standards improve along with the infrastructure in wealthier nations, the persistent
mechanization of industry and increasingly motorized transportation in developing countries
thunders well ahead of the apparatus for treatment and prevention. In response to this too
often ignored epidemic, the World Health Organization has dedicated its World Health Day
2004 to road safety, launching a one year campaign.
WHO commissioned several posters from Fabrica, the research and development
communication centre of Italian fashion company Benetton, to convey the severe consequences
of road injury throughout the world and to remind policy makers, the media, and the public of
the “disastrous consequences of the world's road safety crisis.” The posters—showing images
such as a parking lot full of spaces for disabled people and a length of highway lined with
corpses stretching to infinity—are arresting and partly succeed.
This ad campaign if launched in India especially in its capital New Delhi can make people aware
about the increasing problem of Road rage, which many people know but do not want to react
or work upon. The problem of road rage resulting in road accidents will take pace if not solved
efficiently and patiently. This problems need to be solved with full support from the Indian
government. Benetton can join hands with the government
Domestic Violence
This ad campaign was launched in March 2007. Benetton ran this campaign
in public interest to create awareness regarding domestic violence against woman. The
advertisement is showing women having clear marks of violence inflicted on them. The tag line
of the campaign reads, ‘Colors of domestic violence’.
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24. The SWOT Analysis
Benetton Ads
Strengths
• Since Benetton group is a world leader and famous brand, so its institutional ads gets
noticed.
• Creative and grabs attention at a single glance.
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25. • Gives a message in very clear and concise manner.
• Simple and real information used
• Influential
• Good Visualization
• Global Target audience
• Carry out Corporate Social Responsibility
Weaknesses:
• Ads give rise to controversies and steamed discussions.
• Morality of ads becomes questionable
• According to advertising ethics, some ads are obscene.
Opportunities:
• Should touch social causes without getting obscene and crude.
• Take care of countries national problems, with different campaigns running all around
the world, targeting local problems.
• Run ad campaigns through Audio-video channels of communication like Television,
Radio and Internet.
Threats:
• People think that group uses cheap marketing strategy in its institutional ad campaigns
to promote its brands
• Controversial Ads
Benetton reminds the public of the words of Martin Luther King Jr.,
“The old law of an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.”
Benetton should be praised in its attempt to educate the public on issues that are normally
ignored. Not only do the ads educate teens and the general public about the consequences to
such actions. The ads show the public the issues Benetton supports and fights.
No matter what happens in the future, Benetton has cemented itself as a leader in the design
of casual fashion, brilliant marketing, and high quality garments. The Benetton empire still
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26. stands today as a creative leader in the clothing industry, and many consumers and members of
the media are anxiously awaiting what will come next from this impressive company.
Bibliography
(1) www.benettongroup.com
Group’s official website.
(2) www.fabrica.it
It is an official website of Fabrica, Benetton’s research and Development centre.
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27. (3) www.magindia.com
India’s online ad gallery.
(4) Business Line
A Financial Daily by Hindu Group.
(5) Asia Times Online
(6) The Economic Times
A Financial daily by Times of India group.
(7) www.advertlog.com
Biggest online advertising archive in the world.
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