Powerful advertising campaign by Benetton’s UNHATE foundation promotes acceptance, tolerance, and closeness between people.
Central theme is the kiss, the most universal symbol of love. Memorable ads show world political and religious leaders kissing one another.
Unhate is a message that invites us to consider that hate and love are not as far away from each other as we think. Actually, these two opposing sentiments are often in a delicate and unstable balance.
Stop hating, if you were hating. Don’t hate, UNHATE.
Presidents of the USA and Venezuela
Leaders of North Korea and South Korea
Pope and Sheikh of Al-Azhar Mosque
Leaders of Palestinian Authority and Israel
Chancellor of Germany and President of France
Leader of China and President of the USA
UNHATE in Tel Aviv
UNHATE in Paris
UNHATE in Milan
UNHATE in New York
For more inspiration, check out: Life’s Too Short for the Wrong Job
Villageidiot
Looks more like a campaign for Brokeback Mountain 2…
Nov 17th, 2011
Zack
*As the religious and homophobic around the world start to bug out*
I guess it’s the fact that it is so controversial and striking is the very thing that might wake people up to realize, a kiss and/ or lack of hatred for one another isn’t a terrible thing. The less-educated however will have severe issues with this, I can see it already.
Nov 17th, 2011
Peter
@Zack – The “less-educated will have severe issues”? What a pretentious statement.
Listen, I have no problem with the message – but I don’t care for public display of affection; specially not geriatric kind from political figures. There are better symbols of love that don’t involve exchange of fluids…like hugs. I can get behind that…unless there’s ass grabbing.
Nov 17th, 2011
Immelmann
Hah. The Pope and Sheikh look so into it!
Nov 17th, 2011
Nisa Zul
i think this is wrong concept… just wrong. sorry, don’t like it at all….
Nov 17th, 2011
Ed
I do admire the fact that they’ve tried to start a campaign to raise tolerance and love between groups that seem at odds, but the kiss is a little creepy. This is not even a shot towards the male/male kisses, but the fact that a kiss is just too much a display of affection. It’s like PDA, it just seems to make everyone uncomfortable. I would’ve much rather they all hugged. Hugs are much more warm and fuzzy and embracing-like.
Nov 17th, 2011
Pierre
Hmmm… Did they start a campaign to raise tolerance, or are they using tolerance to make more money?
Nov 17th, 2011
Elliott
Pierre> Definitely the second one, there. They sell clothing, I think.
Nov 17th, 2011
gunneos
is it photoshopped?
Nov 17th, 2011
cole
obama’s poll numbers are about to go wayyyyy down lol
Nov 18th, 2011
Siem
@Gunneos: I’ve read that it’s Photoshopped. It’d be hard to believe that this were real photos :)
Nov 18th, 2011
Ian H.
Benetton has always thrived on creating controversy with their clothing campaigns. This is nothing new for them, just another tired marketing tactic.
Nov 18th, 2011
Marijn
@Elliot
You might want to look into the history of Benetton. They have a rich history of provoking campaigns that transcends the commercial intention.
I have to agree that the pictures are quite shocking. But the fact that it shocks me is what suprises me the most. The reality is that these people rather would see each other dead than they would show this kind of affection. I think this is the right time for this campaign.
Nov 18th, 2011
Craig
After reading all of the above posts it seems to me that the campaign is much needed. We as Americans have always professed or should I say boasted about being a Christian nation yet somehow can’t seem to practice the most basic of Christs teaching, “LOVE THY NEIGHBOR”
Nov 18th, 2011
Tim
Thanks Craig, I was amazed how obvious it was becoming from the comments above, that a campaign about tolerance could be responded to so blindly by intolerance. hmmm.
Nov 18th, 2011
Rob
HAHAHA looks like Obama is getting into it a little too much!! Looks like he enjoys kissin other men.
Nov 18th, 2011
J
This is stupid. it made me hate. haha
Nov 18th, 2011
Evan
The idea that tolerance = romance and passion (which the kiss IS a symbol of) is so far off the mark. There are despots actively victimizing their fellow man (some pictured), perhaps being honest and intolerant of their behavior would be more appropriate than giving them a cuteness makeover. The pictures of the non-oppressors are just mushy and inconsequential.
Nov 18th, 2011
Rudy
“Stop hating, if you were hating. Don’t hate, UNHATE”
That is the message. Simple but thought provoking. Reflect on yourself.
Could you fathom unhating the individual(s) or people to have caused you to feel this hatred? Try it.
Nov 18th, 2011
Kirvi_Inci
I think it is brilliant! Regardless of the negative or the positive feedback, they were able to create something that made people stand up and take notice. This is something that is a staple of pretty much all Benetton ads.
Nov 18th, 2011
Theobama
Most commented Toxel post ever?
I love it.
Nov 18th, 2011
Ivander
Why they use kissing pictures!? I believe the provocateur is a gay, can’t they just use hugging or high5 pictures???
Nov 18th, 2011
Darrell
Agreed with Peter and Ed..
Nov 18th, 2011
Jeffrey
Im all for equal rights for homosexuals, but it seems to me the subjects of these poster might cause more harm than good. Love him, hate him, or indifferent, Obama is one of the most controversial figures today. He cant do anything at face value. Not to make a general statement, Im aware that this might come of as pretentious; but it seems to me that the people these ads are aimed at are people who are already gonna have a huge problem with Obama. So now instead of promoting tolerence, it just produces more hate.
I do like the kim jong il picture though, only because he is such tyrant and Im sure the photo will upset.
Nov 18th, 2011
Elin
I LOVE this campaign, its genious! and i dont think people should read so much into the kiss, i see the act more as a symbol of absence of hate, which is the whole point i guess, seeing as the campaign is called UnHate. I’d love to live in a world where people didnt react if these people actually kissed each other, and Craig, thank you, i fully agree.
And in the end the campaign has got people talking about Benetton, which is kinda the whole point with an ad campaign
Nov 18th, 2011
Mohammad Islam
im starting to think if this is really about political tolerance or tolerance of gay people.
Nov 18th, 2011
Huckbo
This is a great ad campaign to promote hate. It’s working beautifully.
Nov 18th, 2011
foxxyshazaam
Hahaha this is so cute and brilliant. If you don’t like it, the point is made. God is love people…oh and hugs wouldnt have gotten your attention like this..think.
Nov 18th, 2011
Shandya
Photoshop LVL. 100
Nov 19th, 2011
douglas
CREEPY !!
Nov 19th, 2011
Eliza
Shandya
Photoshop LVL. 100
Love that coment
And… well… if you go and search all the campaigns from Benetton… this is less shocking than others… yet… quite great the way they resume all the words that could have been said to… “Unhate”
With this all the haters would speak their minds off just because they are using public figures and gay kissing, politics, religion, war, contrast, things people just can’t stand to “tolerate” in an easy way… but that’s the whole point isn’t it? why hate?
politics? religion? tolerance? is all there… :) great way of make people talk their mind of… for haters and those who understand…
Nov 19th, 2011
Domo
Classic Shock advertising. This company doesn’t care about hate or unhate, they just want a controversal ad campaign to get noticed so they can sell their product.
Nov 20th, 2011
Dom
I hate how quick people are to overlook this as just another marketing scheme. Of course it would be naive to suggest that there was no consideration for the company’s sales, but is it so preposterous to consider that they might also have something worth saying?
Regardless of who’s paying for the big prints, the message is still the same.
Nov 20th, 2011
Werner
It could of just been a hug. This is stupid as hell. Do you kiss your best friend on the lips? No.
Nov 24th, 2011
Katrina
How is this not appropriation?
Nov 24th, 2011
Noelle
What has this got to do with selling clothes? When I first saw this ad, I was thrown until someone explained to me what it’s about and I still think its unnecessary.
Dec 4th, 2011
Noelle
They’re clever. I didn’t know who they were until i saw this ad. now im writing a paper about them…
Dec 4th, 2011
Passerby
This is really just distrubing to me. its not that i hate this its just the fact that… it seems so childish to cut and paste someone kissing someone else to prove a point….
Jan 17th, 2012
Liv
Hmm. I see the message as a good thing, but as many others have said the kissing is a little far. Kissing is romantic, not so much friendly. Hugging or even shaking hands would have been better, I think. But as a marketing campaign, it’s a job well done.
Jan 14th, 2014