Benetton 'Unhate' Campaign Shows World Leaders Kissing

UPDATE: Benetton has withdrawn the ad showing Pope Benedict XVI after the Vatican called it "unacceptable," the Associated Press reports.

There's no doubt that these are the pictures of the day. U.S. President Barack Obama kissing his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez, Mahmoud Abbas embracing Benjamin Netanyahu, and Germany's Angela Merkel locking lips with Nicolas Sarkozy. Is this bad fan fiction? A new approach to international diplomacy?

The stunning (albeit photoshopped) images are part of a new campaign by the United Colors of Benetton. Alessandro Benetton, executive deputy chairman, who presented the ads in Paris on Wednesday, said they were meant to promote the idea of "unhate," The Times Of India writes. "The images are very strong, but we have to send a strong message. We are not wanting to be disrespectful of the leaders ... we consider them "conception figures" making a statement of brotherhood with a kiss," he reportedly said.

Benetton hopes the campaign will contribute to the creation of a culture of tolerance and combat hatred, the group writes. It plans a series of live actions in which young people will post the images of the smooching world leaders "on the walls of locations symbolic of the desperately-needed peace process: Tel Aviv, New York, Rome, Milan, Paris."

There have already been fierce reactions to the controversial shots. According to the Belgian news channel RTL, President of the Italian Association for Catholic Viewers Luca Borgomeo asked for the immediate withdrawal of the campaign. "Is it possible that RTL can't think of anything better?" he said, according to a HuffPost translation.

"The White House has a longstanding policy disapproving of the use of the president's name and likeness for commercial purposes," White House spokesman Eric Schultz told The Huffington Post.

Benetton is known for its controversial ads, including one of a young nun kissing a priest.

Below, check out these love-bird world leaders and vote for your favorite kiss:

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Comments

[Natalie Kerr]

10:49 AM on 02/04/2012

the fact that most of you are enraged by this means it's a good campaign and Benetton are getting exactly the type of feedback they wanted :) you keep talking about it gets it more out there :)

I personally love this and am not offended at all by this..i don't see why anyone is really it's just really simple and innocent conveying a big meaning, take the meaning into consideration and if the leaders are upset about the pictures then it's there issue to deal with not ours..

[Bermille]

02:05 PM on 12/07/2011

I still prefer the mashup of Obama and McCain in 2008.

[Angel 1951]

02:13 PM on 11/27/2011

Absolutely tasteless, disrepectful and degrading! Have we as humans lost the most important characteristic of our mortal self, love of manknid? Are we that uncomfortable as human beings that when we are not in control of the bigger picture, we humiliate what we do not understand? How dare you humiliate our President! Just remember, man will never be in control, God is not dead!!!!

[Salon Kelley]

09:27 PM on 11/26/2011

Clearly made out of desperate attempt to gain press?!? A serious misuse of talent.

[tyger]

03:42 PM on 11/25/2011

Speechless

[robertaruth]

12:04 PM on 11/24/2011

OH stop it already! This story has had enough play and it's getting really annoying.

[maggiemosaic]

11:44 PM on 11/23/2011

HOW IS THIS PICTURE GOING TO HELP OBAMA???? this pic. is fodder for the far right,plain and simple!!!

[gongdark]

02:54 PM on 11/23/2011

There might be more truth about how these individuals are portrayed, especially obama.

[Eternalwisdom]

12:04 PM on 11/23/2011

The pictures are meant to shock us into thinking. Yes they are provocative, so what!

The world community would be better off if these world leaders would appreciate the underlying message. For those of you who find the pictures "upsetting" I myself find them far less unsettling than the pictures of human carnage, courtesy of the wars and conflicts are leaders continually find reason to justify.

Thinks of the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi dead civilians, the result of a war justified because of Sadam's weapons of mass destruction we never found. How many Afghanistans have died because Osama decided to set up camp there?

What if our government actually recognized armed conflict as a last recourse instead of business as usual?

[bhaines213]

01:01 PM on 11/22/2011

I started boycotting Benneton a long time ago because of the offensive way they used minority children in some of their ads. Disrespectful ads are nothing new for them. What’s new this time is that they’re photoshopping people’s images without getting permission. Previously they used models. Now they’re being dishonest in addition to being disrespectful.

[xdiesp]

08:44 AM on 11/22/2011

Hey, Obama got 2 kisses!

[justlisen2b101]

01:56 AM on 11/22/2011

Unhate campaign alright, everytime i see these pictures all i feel is hate. is there anything the media wont do for money.

[RobertHenryEller]

09:20 PM on 11/20/2011

Interesting. The other day, there was a photo of two armed forces guys in full dress uniforms who were marrying each other kissing. That seemed fine.

These 'shopped photos, not so much. Even Angela and Sarko.

So, I guess one still can't photoshop the real look of love. I'm happy about that.

Still, ad pictures just have to be memorable to work at selling. I am sure people won't soon forget these.

The only reason Benetton scrapped the Pope picture is the company is Italian, and they probably drew heat.

[faith]

04:05 PM on 11/20/2011

Genuinely abuse of free speech. Benetton should be boycotted by everyone for such a blatant disregard of the facts, accuracy, and art. There is nothing beautiful about such malicious characterizations of public figures. And its use of an invented term, "unhate" is simplistic and unrevealing of its meaning. Boycott Benetton !

[greenmonk]

08:10 PM on 11/22/2011

Yeah there is nothing beautiful about people kissing! So malicious.
How dare they!!!

[faith]

01:16 PM on 11/25/2011

..at least not in our social system. Really, greenmonk? You don't think it is an abuse to use public figure likenesses for commercial gain?

[faith]

11:07 PM on 11/29/2011

But, greenmonk, they in fact were NOT kissing. It was a lie. A fabrication. False presentation.

[Akusomcpeith]

03:00 PM on 11/20/2011

There is no beauty in the kiss of men here kissing men in this sad way of leaders set as gays among themselves - intended so the sentiments of these who would the sick portray: portraying it as seeking peace and love - only a sadness seen of human beings who hate themselves who would so portray human beings as sadists found set tongue in tongue set men with men unsightly seen, "defiling so themselves, their faith and all", as Mom would say.

"Unhate" portrayed so in this way is hateful in its depth and hurtful in distaste: a type of hate in humans set without regard for human beings portrayed.