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Balenciaga apologises for campaign featuring kids holding teddy bears in bondage gear

Balenciaga apologises for campaign featuring kids holding teddy bears in bondage gear

The brand also apologised for 'unsettling documents' displayed in the photos referring to child sexual abuse.
23 Nov, 2022

Luxury fashion brand Balenciaga has apologised for a recent campaign which has been accused of sexualising children and deleted all images from the campaign from its social media platforms. The ad, which was for the brand’s upcoming holiday collection, featured children holding teddy bears in bondage gear.

In a statement posted on Instagram on Wednesday, Balenciaga apologised for any “offence” the campaign may have caused. “Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign. We have immediately removed the campaign from all platforms.”

Apart for the teddy bears, the brand also apologised for displaying “unsettling documents” in the photos.

“We take this matter very seriously and are taking legal action against the parties responsible for creating the set and including unapproved items for our spring 23 campaign photoshoot. We strongly condemn abuse of children in any form. We stand for children safety and well-being.”

Insider noted that the ad featured an image of a bag on top of a stack of documents referring to a US Supreme Court ruling that upheld a law that criminalises child sexual abuse images.

The photos sparked fierce backlash online with people calling out the brand for sexualising children.

The brand has also deleted all its pictures from Instagram but it is unclear whether this purge was due to the recent controversy or was done at an earlier time. In August, the brand wiped its feed clean to stand in support of Iranian women.

Comments

Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Nov 23, 2022 05:30pm
Too little, too late.
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Truth is bitter Nov 23, 2022 05:48pm
Step by step they will normalise everything that is wrong. So the minority with a twisted mind will not be a minority anymore
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Wahab UK Nov 23, 2022 06:34pm
Disgusting
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Truth be told Nov 23, 2022 06:45pm
Thank you Dawn for teaching our people about bondage.
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jsav12 Nov 23, 2022 11:30pm
They couldn't have stood in support of Iranian women in August. The protests started in October
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Jigen.m19 Nov 24, 2022 10:35am
@Truth is bitter so very true
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Ten Jee Nov 24, 2022 11:46am
What's banned today will be art tomorrow. The creeping normalisation of all things counter to dignified modesty and decency continues. Bit by bit, degree by degree, the path to lowering of acceptability thresholds in public art and media is a gradual process. Look to the outer edges of modern Western art and media to see what will occupy the center ground in 10 years. There is no guiding standard, only what is in tune with public tastes, which can be manipulated over time yo accept anything.
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