Media Portrayl of Benetton's WODR
Shortly following the release of Benetton’s controversial ad campaign, the popular television show, America’s Most Wanted, aired a segment about the catalog. The show’s perspective was less than objective. The show’s host referred to it as "a slick advertising campaign" with "two dozen inmates posing like high fashion models." He continued to say it was "a slap in the face to crime victims." The show was purposely one-sided, showing interviews with the victims and Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon, who is suing Benetton for fraud, but no interviews with Benetton representatives. They claimed it was their duty to tell the public the details Benetton left out. The host sums up the opinions of America’s Most Wanted by announcing, "I can’t understand how a clothing company, from Italy, could give these guys their fifteen minutes of fame. What kind of message is that? Kill somebody, rape somebody, then you’re going to be a fashion model? Think about that the next time you go into a clothing store and see their clothes."
In addition to the television coverage, Benetton also received numerous positions in the press. The Wall Street Journal made no effort to hide their thoughts on the matter. The first sentence in an article published on March 20 read:
"If the death sentence were handed out to those who are guilty of producing excruciatingly tasteless, ineffective advertising and inflicting it on the masses, Oliviero Toscani, the self-proclaimed "genius" behind Benetton advertising would be appearing in his own anti-capital punishment ads."
The New York Post’s headline "United Victims if Benetton" also portrayed their disdain for the ad. On February 24, The LA Times called it an example of "crass commercialism." On the other hand, many other newspapers, such as USA Today, portrayed the story objectively, stating both sides. The Sunday Telegraph, a newspaper in the UK, reported on the "complete failure of European initiatives to persuade American public opinion that capital punishment is uncivilised." It did, however, admit that the ad campaign is of "dubious taste."
Kristy Herman
Links:
To America’s Most Wanted:
To The Wall Street Journal:
http://interactive.wsj.com/home.html
To The New York Post:
To The Los Angeles Times:
To USA Today:
To The Sunday Telegraph:
http://www.sundaytelegraph.com.au/