News & Opinion
Leaders Lock Lips To End Hate

United Colors of Benetton's newest ad campaign, "Unhate," promotes tolerance and love with a series of controversial kisses.
November 17 2011 12:27 PM EST
February 05 2015 9:27 PM EST
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Benetton has never shied from advertising that addresses social issues, often in ways that make people squirm. From this 1990 photo of AIDS patient David Kirby in the hospital, to the disembodied hearts showing that race is only skin deep, these are more than your generic, mixed-race groups wearing cable-knit sweaters (though UCB does that often, too).
On the Benetton Group website, they explain: "The campaigns have gathered awards and acclaim
worldwide; by the same token, they have aroused strong reactions - at times ferocious, at times simply curious, confirming once again that they are always a focal point of discussion and of confrontation of ideas."
We salute Benetton for making bold choices, especially in their latest campaign to "end the culture of hate." To see how you can participate, visit The Unhate Foundation. For a look at some contentious leaders showing some love, click through the slideshow (and look how much love Barack is getting!).
They've also released this film by director Laurent Chanez, which shows how subtle the boundaries are between love and hate.