United Colors of Benetton views love without color

The above image is part of an ad campaign from the United Colors of Benetton, a global brand recognized for their strategic utilization of shock advertising. The company consistently launches shocking and controversial advertisements for the sake of acceptance and unification. Regardless of how they are received by the general population, the brand spreads awareness of these issues by thrusting them into the public spotlight. While this ad was first released in the spring of 1996, it still reflects our current society's limitations from prejudice.

The campaign uses three identical-looking hearts with "White", "Black" and "Yellow" as captions to illustrate how we are all similar on the inside regardless of skin color. The general idea is that the heart is the consistent message of love, regardless of race, ethnicity or sexual orientation. The image resonates with me particularly because the hearts vaguely resemble rose-bud shapes, amplifying the ad's emotional impact. Across the board, I am always impressed with the United Colors of Benetton ads because of their boldness and simplicity; the ad benefits from a lack of excessive copy. I think the message comes across effectively as is because it provides just enough to clue the audience to their initiative but also allows for interpretation.