In November of last year, Balenciaga found itself under fire after not one, but two offensive ad campaigns. First, it was the Gift Shop campaign that featured photos of children with inappropriate paraphernalia. Using toddlers as models, this series of advertisements captured images of the children holding bears seemingly dressed with BDSM gear. The background took place in a home setting and was scattered with a variety of items, including inappropriate props like wine glasses.
But, this poorly thought-through campaign wasn't the only tasteless mistake made by Balenciaga. Only 5 days after the Gift Shop photos were released, Balenciaga also dropped their 2023 Garde-Robe ads. For this campaign, the brand opted for models Nicole Kidman and Bella Hadid. However, they still stirred up trouble. A photo of a Balenciaga x Adidas handbag sitting on a desk turned sour as soon as social media viewers recognized the paperwork that was sitting underneath. One was a copy of the 2008 Supreme Court ruling on US v. Williams, which banned the promotion of child pornography. In addition, the brand placed a book by Michaël Borremans on the desk. Borremans' work is known to depict seemingly playful scenes of toddlers with a dark and violent twist.
Balenciaga Apologizes for "Unsettling" Mistakes
Evidently, both of these Balenciaga campaigns overtly shed light on a disturbing subject. While the fashion house has been known to spark debates over design choices (such as their crocs with heels), the undertones of these two advertisement concepts didn't sit well with the internet. The brand eventually removed all images from the campaigns and released public apologies for the controversy.
In a recent interview with Vogue, Balenciaga's artistic director Demna Gvasalia explained these "unintentional" mistakes. “Despite what many people may have suspected … never, ever would I have an idea to mess around with such an awful and horrible thing,” Demna says. His influence on the initial Gift Shop campaign was intended to be an homage to the "punk and DIY" cultures. As for the following handbag photo, Demna insists that all paperwork was supposed to be fake, and was received from a prop box. In an attempt to make up for their negligence, Balenciaga is actively working with the Kering Foundation and National Children's Alliance.
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