Controversial Benetton Advert

A newborn baby advert, 1991: Benetton says: ‘The photo of the newborn baby girl, Giusy, was intended as an anthem to life, but was one of the most censured visuals in the history of Benetton ads. In the realm of advertising, traditionally occupied by pretense, the eruption of real life caused a scandal. In Italy, the protests started in Palermo, where the Town Council ordered Benetton to take down its advertising posters. In Milan, censorship was preventive and the vast ‘Piazza Duomo’ stayed off-limits. The ad was then condemned by the Code of Advertising Practice Court, the Self-Regulatory Committee for the sector, which decided that the photo “does not take account of public sensitivity”. It was awarded a prize by the Swiss ‘Société Générale d’Affichage’ (General Poster Association) and the Sant’Orsola General Hospital in Bologna asked for permission to display the photo in its delivery room’  Photograph: Rex Features