Benetton Campaigns Research - Salvemini

The Benetton Campaigns United Colors - Lorella Pagnucco Salvemini

‘With Toscani, communication is through silence. What is publicised is absent, goods that are not seen, something intangible and mysterious and for this reason very attractive.’ p16

Use this to explain how products are not shown in ads. Therefore the message of the advert is all about values and morals rather than product, what is actually for sale here?

‘The consumer acquires the garment as tangible sign of having achieved emancipation.’ p16

Use in Callaghan section to link back to Benetton. Buying something to show you are a good person. 

Jean West’s brand ‘showed the new woman, independent and self-sufficient.’ 

‘She had adopted typically masculine behaviour’

She ‘wants to be free, strong-willed, energetic and virile. For this reason she dresses like him.’ p19

Use in H&M section to support idea of demoralising females by making them more like men to show power. 

‘concentrated on the paradoxical use of black and white in colour photography.’ 

‘It’s objective is to induce purchases, and for selling it must capture the consumer’s attention’

‘Now advertising made a bold leap forward from the then - current way of working: ‘not to increase the saleability of products but to offer values.’ p44

The end of this quote could be used in the introduction or conclusion to support basic statements outlining the question/conclusion. 

Vance Packard ‘we know that the functional need for a garment carries practically no weight in these situations.’ p44

People don’t need these products. They are a symbol of a greater message and moral and that is what people really feel like they ‘need’.

‘Each person seeing the picture will inevitably make a decision, based on awareness, experience and most of all, personal prejudices.’ p46

Unconscious bias in benetton section, chapter three. Ref picture p46. - another example of binary opposition. 

Toscani has a ‘firm belief that the development of mankind of the past was through freedom, lack of prejudice and awareness of their thinking.’

‘the paradox of the self-conferred role of public moralizer’ p47

‘By illustrating contraceptives, it is an implicit recommendation to use them, particularly appropriate in a period devastated by he spread of AIDS.’

‘From advice to action. This time the adverting went further, with the incredible arrangement that all Benetton shops would distribute free condoms.’ p49      Ref photo p50

Criticism from Gianni Vattimo: ‘I have the strongest doubts that publicising the condition of AIDS will contribute in any way to limiting the damages of this disease.’ p93

‘The suspicion is that the charge of using the tragedy of others for commercial gain hid deep feelings of condemnation towards those suffering from AIDS.’ p93

Use the AIDS case study in chapter four to outline what I am mimicking with my practical. 

Last quote is most important - publicising the issue wont make a change to the actual disease - same goes for dementia. 

‘Once the benefit derived from the shock and the widespread free media publicity that unfailingly followed it had worn off, the disquieting association between the label and disturbing events drastically prevented any possibility of dialogue between Benetton and the consumer.’ p126

‘In the early days Benetton customers could enjoy wearing clothes that made them feel politically correct.’ p126

Buying values, virtue signalling. Why is this just accepted as an idea? How does an item of clothing hold a social value?

‘Works of art were often intended to shock conventional people and stimulate deep thoughts about society.’ 

Without the connection of the brand, the artwork itself is more successful at provoking a change in society. There is no ulterior motive behind the image if it is not being used to sell anything.