Response to Balenciaga Ad Campaign Featuring Kids with BDSM-like Accessories
Following the debut of their Spring 2023 Ready-to-Wear Collection, Balenciaga, a coveted Spanish fashion house, released a controversial ad campaign this November. The campaign featured children holding plush teddy bears surrounded with shocking, BDSM-like accessories.
These disturbing images caught the media's attention and slammed the brand. Some have argued it is an instance of child abuse.
Source: NY Post
On Tuesday, November 22nd, the luxury fashion house posted an apology on its Instagram for the holiday ad campaign stating, “our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign.” Following the backlash, Balenciaga also deleted the advertisement from all of their platforms.
The photographer for the shoot, Gabriele Galimberti, spoke out about the ad campaign on his Instagram on November 23rd. “I must stress that I was not entitled in whatsoever manner to neither choose the products, nor the models, nor the combination of the same,” Galimberti stated.
In combination with the bondage-style clothing the children were dressed in, “eagle-eyed online investigators pointed out that another ad showed what appeared to be legal documents from a Supreme Court case which ruled on federal laws regarding child pornography,” reports NY Post.
Source: New York Times
The Washington Post reveals that the court case used was the “United States v. Williams decision, which ruled on the constitutionality of a law prohibiting the pandering of child pornography.” The image featuring excerpts from this ruling was photographed alongside a child.
Since this was not something Balenciaga had outlined in their creative vision, on Friday, November 25th, it was revealed that the fashion house has filed a lawsuit against North Six, the production company, and set designer Nicholas Des Jardins. Balenciaga is requesting $25 million for the damages caused by this ad campaign.
The media has urged celebrities and brand endorsers to speak out about this controversy. After a few days of silence, Kim Kardashian, who is an ambassador for Balenciaga, took to her Instagram, making an official statement on the campaign.
Source: Ad Age
The story post from November 27th reads:
Source: @kimkardashian on Instagram
Kardashian also went on to say that she will be re-evaluating her relationship with the brand for not only her children but children everywhere.
On Monday, November 28th, Balenciaga issued another apology and statement on their Instagram account. They mentioned that the brand is investigating the production company but takes responsibility for their oversights and the controversial campaign as a whole.
The luxury fashion house has made promises regarding the internal change. They also stated that the brand is working to connect with organizations that “specialize in child protection and aim at ending child abuse and exploitation.”
Source: @balenciaga on Instagram
While the fate of the fashion house’s reputation remains uncertain, an investigation will be conducted to figure out how the Supreme Court documents wound up featured in the campaign. For now, all we can do is support organizations that offer child protection services.