Public Outrage with Balenciaga's Ad Campaign

Balenciaga posted their campaign on November 16, 2022, intending to show off their new spring collection appearing in the Spring of 2023. The scandal surrounded two pictures shot by Gabriele Galimberti; one was of a little girl holding a doll wrapped around with leather bondage, as seen below, and the latter (not shown) involved a reference to a Supreme Court case on child porn. With this all being taken into account, TikTok has gone wild, showing videos of celebrities cutting thousands of dollars worth of Balenciaga merchandise. Likewise, the campaign pictures were taken down, and Gabriele gave a formal apology to the public, stating, “As a photographer, I was only and solely requested to light the given scene and take the shots according to my signature style. As usual for commercial shooting, the direction of the campaign and the choice of the objects displayed are not in the hands of the photographer”(Caruso). Many people found Gabriele’s apology to be transparent and lacking accountability. Celebrities like Kim Kardashian issued a statement to the public stating, “As a mother of four, I have been shaken by the disturbing images. The safety of children must be held with the highest regard, and any attempts to normalize child abuse of any kind should have no place in our society — period”(Caruso). Balenciaga also issued a statement on Instagram trying to defend themselves and further apologize for their actions in the campaign pictures, stating that campaign was intended for, “organizations who specialize in child protection and aim at ending child abuse and exploitation”(Caruso). Balenciaga ended their apology letter by saying, “We want to learn from our mistakes and identify ways we can contribute”(Caruso). More so, the internet is still outraged by the scandal in its entirety. Further, with many celebrities speaking up loud and clear, it goes without questioning what the future holds for Balenciaga. 

https://people.com/style/balenciaga-campaign-controversy-timeline/