Essay

How are race and identity constructed and perceived in Benetton advertisements?

Benetton’s early advertising campaigns seem to follow the standard kinds of conventions used in traditional advertisements. The shift in advertising strategy between 1983 and 1991 on initial inspection uses racial harmony and ethnic diversity as its focal point. This is when the ads start to break the conventional codes of advertising by ignoring the visual representation of the product, and instead become engaged in the problems of racism. These campaigns were titled ‘Race’ and ‘Contrasts in Black an White’. They depict images of racial and ethnic difference, which caused a large amount of controversy. The switch in the ad campaign reflects Oliviero Toscanis attempt to transform Benetton’s brand identity. The change of emphasis from selling a product to focusing on cultural conflicts and social issues is seen to be an endeavor to redefine Benetton’s image to one of corporate responsibility. This controversial ad campaign blurs the boundaries between the image being viewed as a document and as an advertisement. ‘The ‘unity’ proposed by Benetton is intended as a good thing, but the existence of cultural groups for whom such unity is abhorrent generates alternative meanings’ (Barnard, 2005 p 91). It also arises the issues of commodity culture, using cultural difference to sell mundane products.

The main focus of Benetton’s ads of course was intended to be that of racial harmony and to communicate the idea of all people being members of the same family. This however was not the interpretation that everyone withdrew from the campaign. Bell Hooks for example took an entirely different meaning, viewing the campaign negatively. Supposedly ‘racially diverse images’ ‘exploit Otherness in order to increase product sales’ (Barnard, 2005 p 89). The ads have an underlying traditional function- brand recognition; the truth is cultural difference sells. Using the importance of the social situations to sell a product can be seen as exploitative. People react to this and give in to the product in order to make them feel they are doing something worthy or moral by choosing a brand that is socially aware. However the ads depict striking imagery, yet no text or further information highlighting the conflicts and issues shown. This shows how promotional culture is increasingly using different tactics to sell its corporate image as opposed to a product. It employs a postmodern strategy that reinvents the advertising style to sell to media saturated consumers. When looking at the campaign in more depth, it appears that Benetton take advantage of serious issues, employing the shock tactic in order to build brand recognition.

A number of authors have expressed varied views on how race is perceived in Benetton ads. Sturken and Cartwright, (2001), Alcoff, (2002) and Kellner, (1994) have all commented on how the media uses connotations of racial awareness in order to sell products. The portrayal of race gives the product an element of cultural sophistication. For instance Sturken and Cartwright in ‘Practices of Looking’ state how the ads are intended to signify racial harmony and ethnic diversity, however the message is often distorted depending on who is viewing it. For example, Benetton produced an advertisement displaying a black woman breastfeeding a white baby. This controversial image is open to a broad range of different perceptions; varying depending on which context it is viewed.

‘While in certain contexts, this image might connote racial harmony, in the United States it carried other connotations, most troubling the history of slavery in the United States and the use of black women slaves as “wet nurses” to breastfeed the white children of their owners.’ (Sturken and Cartwright, 2001 p 40)

Oliviero Toscani, Benetton Campaign, Autumn- Winter 1989

The obvious intention of this image is to communicate an inter-racial mother-child relationship, and draw attention to the issue of racism in attempt to signify racial unity as a positive thing. The media is an extremely influential outlet when tackling such issues. ‘Media images help shape our view of the world and our deepest values: what we consider good or bad, positive or negative, moral or evil.’ (Kellner, 1994) This advertisement in particular caused quite a stir. Despite Toscani's anti-racist intentions, the meaning becomes distorted and instead translates into one that is both offensive and highly controversial. ‘The image’s meanings are over determined by historical factors’ (Sturken and Cartwright, 2001 p 40) This is greatly due to the sensitivity of the subject, being seen in some people’s eyes to reinforce the racist and old-fashioned view of the black nanny. Another advertisement to be withdrawn in the United States was an image depicting two men handcuffed together, one white and one black. The close up framing that is also used in a number of other Benetton ads, can be seen to reflect the claustrophobic environment that people of different cultures, living different lifestyles are forced to endure. The problem perceived in this particular advertisement was that the black man was interpreted as a criminal and the white man as a police officer. The offense that these examples cause are conjured during the interpretation, the denotations of the images are simple and clear. Quite innocently one depicts a woman breastfeeding a child and the other, two men handcuffed together. The problem lies in the connotation of the images, which is the level at which the meaning is transformed. There is no physical suggestion in the second image that the black man is the criminal, but the cultural and social history of the individual viewing the ad determines what assumptions are made and what meaning is withdrawn. ‘To interpret images is to examine the assumptions that we and others bring to them, and to decode the visual language that they speak’ (Sturken and Cartwright, 2001 p 41). This view is deeply cynical in the way that it commercialises all aspects of life, even issues taken from the third world.

Oliviero Toscani, Benetton Campaign, Autumn- Winter 1989

Alcoff comments on the different ways in which the people perceive race, stating that the media (Benetton) creates a distinction between different races. This highlights the different meanings of race. ‘Its meanings have always been mediated through visual appearance, however complicated’ (Alcoff, 1996). Is race something purely physical that is something to be seen? If so then does it legitimise the act of identifying a person by the act of racial stereotyping? People are often identified and judged by the colour of their skin, colour being the easiest way to determine a person’s race. Visual conventions are the primary means in which people understand the world around them. ‘Rather than presenting the world icons represent it’ (Gilman, 1987) Race has no one meaning, but its meanings have always been interpreted through visual appearances.

By using models of different ethnicities in its ads, Benetton attempts to establish an idea of difference in order to distinguish its brand identity. Difference in this case is demonstrated through marking. ‘The unmarked category is the unquestioned norm and the marked category is the one seen as different or other.’ (Sturken and Cartwright, 2001 p 221).  This is to say that nonwhite models are immediately marked by their race, and the white models’ race is not acknowledged. It could be argued that Benetton uses models of mixed ethnicities in its ads in an attempt to unmark race, but in turn still creates a meaning of social awareness. Surely it is not possible to do both; by commenting on different races mixing together so obviously is to highlight it, making it seem like something out of the ordinary. The media constructs for the viewer a definition of what race is and what meaning the imagery of race carries. Ideas of race in media are constantly worked on and transformed, ‘It would be wrong and misleading to see the media as uniformly and conspiratorially harnessed to a single, racist conception of the world.’ (Hall, 1997).  This perhaps leads the viewer to inferential racism? A representation of events and situations relating to race leaves room for only propositions of unquestioned assumptions. In a sense this manipulates people into making racist assumptions.

Benetton ads play a key role in commodity culture, although very few of them show any sign of the product itself. In postmodern advertising, simply showing the product to the customer has become so lacking in originality it has become obvious and boring, so companies need to reinvent new and clever ways to stop “page traffic” in order to promote their brand. ‘Advertising functions in a much more indirect way to sell lifestyle and identification with brand names and corporate logos.’ (Sturken and Cartwright, 2001 p 198) Benetton advertisements gives the viewer a sense of being able to buy their way into multiculturalism, promoting diversity as being progressive and “hip”. This can be perceived as good thing, making people more aware of racial diversity and communicating it in a positive light. It can also however, be viewed negatively. The ads give the viewer a sense of “exoticism” making skin colour fashionable, as if it is possible to buy ones way into a different culture through commodities, giving them a sense of “otherness” and a feeling of belonging to an individual group. On the other hand, it provokes everyone to buy into the same thing, condoning conformist behaviour and erasing difference and individuality. ‘Ironically, while these products promise to white consumers the qualities of otherness, commodity culture is about the denial of difference, in that it encourages conformist behaviour through the act of consumption.’ (Sturken and Cartwright, 2001 p 221) It is arguable that this postmodern style of advertising and the use of important social issues to sell everyday products blur the boundaries between using imagery for documentary purposes and for advertising. This reworks the role of the advertisement and strips it of its potential to move us in a purposeful way. It removes the possibility of change, reducing the meaning and impact that the image could have on the viewer. Using race in such a way that it objectifies it, spawning colour prejudices. This poses the question ‘Does a political statement have any force when it is an integral part of an ad selling a product?’ (Sturken and Cartwright, 2001 p 276).

Benetton’s ‘Race’ and ‘Contrasts in Black and White’ advertising campaigns definitely communicate an element of cultural sophistication. While it is clear that their intent is to convey ethnic diversity and racial harmony, it still comes across as exploiting issues for the benefit of the brand. Although, as Lawrence Soley states ‘Advertising professionals are businessmen first and moralists second.’ (Soley, 1983 p 690) The ads tap into people’s emotions, making them feel that if they give in to the brand then they will somehow be contributing to or supporting racial togetherness. ‘Benetton is selling a celebration and erasure of difference and a kind of universal humanism.’ (Sturken and Cartwright, 2001 p 222). It is difficult to believe that Benetton’s intentions are entirely innocent; after all they are trying to sell a product so there is always going to be an element of self-gain. It is hardly arguable however, that Benetton bring light to a diverse range of racial and social issues. This can only be seen as a good thing, awareness is what drives change and eliminates prejudice. What does it matter if the alterior motive is to sell products to create profit, if it creates social awareness and influences the greater good? Any racist connotations withdrawn from these campaigns are merely a result of the assumption that social issues involving crime and turmoil are directed towards the ethnic minority. The intent of this campaign is to be controversial, but by no means racist. 

Bibliography

Sturken, M. and Cartwright, L. (2001) Practices of Looking, New York, Oxford University press

 Osborne, P. and Sandford, S. (eds) (2002) Philosophies of Race and Ethnicity, London, Continuum

Donald, J. and Rattansi, A. (eds) (2005) ‘Race’, Culture & Difference, London, Sage publications

Salvemini, L. (2002) United Colours, The Benetton Campaigns, London, Scriptum Editions

Dines, G. and Humez, J. (eds) (2003) Gender, Race, and Class in Media, London, Sage publications

Kellner, D. (2003) ‘Cultural Studies, Multiculturalism, and Media Culture’ in Dines, G. and Humez, J. (eds) Gender, Race, and Class in Media, London, Sage publications

Soley, L. (1983) ‘The Effects of Black Models on Magazine Ad Readership’ in Dines, G. and Humez, J. (eds) Gender, Race, and Class in Media, London, Sage publications

Hall, S. (1997) ‘The Whites of Their Eyes’ in Dines, G. and Humez, J. (eds) Gender, Race, and Class in Media, London, Sage publications

Alcoff, L. (1996)’Philosophy and Racial Identity’ in Osborne, P. and Sandford, S. (eds) Philosophies of Race and Ethnicity, London, Continuum


Barnard, M. (2005) Graphic Design as Communication, New York, Routledge