Balenciaga, a high-end fashion house, has issued an apology for using children snuggling teddy bears decked out in bondage gear in its most recent advertising campaign.
Balenciaga Apologizing
Images for the Balenciaga Gift Shop Teddy-Bear ad were taken by photographer Gabriele Galimberti and featured small toddlers wearing the Balenciaga Kids collection.
The campaign “iterates on the artist’s series Toy Stories, an exploration of what individuals collect and receive as gifts,” according to the initial press release issued last week.
According to the company’s initial press release, the collection included “dozens of new products” that included anything from limited-edition collectibles and bespoke furniture to homeware, petwear, and scents.
However, there was a negative reaction on social media to the pictures of young children holding plush teddy bear bags while sporting what appeared to be BDSM-inspired attire. A picture of a toddler holding many empty wine glasses is shown.
On their Instagram account they issued this statement “We sincerely apologize for any offense our holiday campaign may have caused. Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign. We have immediately removed the campaign from all platforms.”.
“WE WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE CONTROVERSIES SURROUNDING OUR RECENT AD CAMPAIGNS.
WE STRONGLY CONDEMN CHILD ABUSE; IT WAS NEVER OUR INTENT TO INCLUDE IT IN OUR NARRATIVE.
THE TWO SEPARATE AD CAMPAIGNS IN QUESTION REFLECT A SERIES OF GRIEVOUS ERRORS FOR WHICH BALENCIAGA TAKES RESPONSIBILITY.
THE FIRST CAMPAIGN, THE GIFT COLLECTION CAMPAIGN, FEATURED CHILDREN WITH PLUSH BEAR BAGS DRESSED IN WHAT SOME HAVE LABELLED BDSM- INSPIRED OUTFITS. OUR PLUSH BEAR BAGS AND THE GIFT COLLECTION SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN FEATURED WITH CHILDREN. THIS WAS A WRONG CHOICE BY BALENCIAGA, COMBINED WITH OUR FAILURE IN ASSESSING AND VALIDATING IMAGES. THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS LIES WITH BALENCIAGA ALONE.
THE SECOND, SEPARATE CAMPAIGN FOR SPRING 2023, WHICH WAS MEANT TO REPLICATE A BUSINESS OFFICE ENVIRONMENT, INCLUDED A PHOTO WITH A PAGE IN THE BACKGROUND FROM A SUPREME COURT RULING ‘UNITED STATES V. WILLIAMS’ 2008 WHICH CONFIRMS AS ILLEGAL AND NOT PROTECTED BY FREEDOM OF SPEECH THE PROMOTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. ALL THE ITEMS INCLUDED IN THIS SHOOTING WERE PROVIDED BY THIRD PARTIES THAT CONFIRMED IN WRITING THAT THESE PROPS WERE FAKE OFFICE DOCUMENTS. THEY TURNED OUT TO BE REAL LEGAL PAPERS MOST LIKELY COMING FROM THE FILMING OF A TELEVISION DRAMA. THE INCLUSION OF THESE UNAPPROVED DOCUMENTS WAS THE RESULT OF RECKLESS NEGLIGENCE FOR WHICH BALEN- CIAGA HAS FILED A COMPLAINT. WE TAKE FULL ACCOUNTABILITY FOR OUR LACK OF OVERSIGHT AND CONTROL OF THE DOCUMENTS IN THE BACKGROUND AND WE COULD HAVE DONE THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
WHILE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL INVESTIGATIONS ARE ONGOING, WE ARE TAKING THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS:
WE ARE CLOSELY REVISING OUR ORGANIZATION AND COLLECTIVE WAYS OF WORKING.
WE ARE REINFORCING THE STRUCTURES AROUND OUR CREATIVE PROCESSES AND VALIDATION STEPS. WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT NEW CONTROLS MARK A PIVOT AND WILL PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.
WE ARE LAYING THE GROUNDWORK WITH ORGANIZATIONS WHO SPECIALIZE IN CHILD PROTECTION AND AIMS AT ENDING CHILD ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION.
WE WANT TO LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES AND IDENTIFY WAYS WE CAN CONTRIBUTE.
BALENCIAGA REITERATES ITS SINCERE APOLOGIES FOR THE OFFENSE WE HAVE CAUSED AND EXTENDS ITS APOLOGIES TO TALENTS AND PARTNERS.”
