Introduction
In recent months, one of the most high-profile scandals in the fashion industry has been the Balenciaga case. This company, which specializes in the production of clothing and accessories, faced public criticism for one of its advertising campaigns. Various photo shoots were launched on Instagram and other media platforms in which the public and stakeholders discerned elements of pedophilia. Children were photographed with toys and objects associated to varying degrees with sexual connotations. For example, in one famous poster, a child is shown in the same photo with a teddy bear wearing a portmanteau, which is an attribute of sexual violence. Moreover, the Balenciaga have released a series of photographs depicting minors in the company of adults who look like known pedophiles. For months, such references have been observed at various events, including fashion shows and social parties. Representatives of the fashion house appeared in the company of children in images with sexual connotations.
Discussion
This policy of the company caused a significant public outcry and became part of the cancellation culture. Mass complaints from users began to be drawn up on social networks against representatives of the company, and consumers publicly refused to buy and use the products of this brand (The Balenciaga scandal: Here’s what you need to know, 2022). However, in the context of this issue, the greatest interest is how competitors and stakeholders expressed criticism (Issawi, 2022). The large companies were virtually inactive on this issue and did not publish collective condemnations.
The most active steps were taken by the influencers, who collaborated with the corporation. A prime example is the behavior of Kim Kardashian, who has been a partner of the brand for many years (The Balenciaga scandal: Here’s what you need to know, 2022). Having a large audience and being the undisputed trendsetter in the fashion world, the girl described in detail her complaints about the marketing activities of the company (Issawi, 2022). In her opinion, managers have made a fundamental mistake for which they must now suffer significant reputational losses.
Following Kim, the other Influencers working with this corporation also expressed indignation over the actions of the PR department. As a result of this vigorous criticism, a massive cancellation mechanism was launched (Issawi, 2022). “I rarely boycott, but Balenciaga is now non-existent to me. I spent thousands of dollars on them, but from now on I will donate all of these items to the nearest homeless shelter,” Blair White, an American blogger wrote (Issawi, 2022). Multimillion-dollar contracts with Balenciaga were terminated by advertising and modeling agencies. Moreover, mass dismissals of qualified specialists who did not want to be part of a company that had made such a large-scale mistake began in the future.
After a while, there followed a response from Balenciaga’s management, which was perceived ambiguously. A decision was made to acknowledge the miscalculation and issue a public apology to the brand’s audience and consumers. Further interpretation of the company’s actions is impossible without an analysis of the two versions of events (The Balenciaga scandal: Here’s what you need to know, 2022). If the activities of the PR department were conscious throughout the advertising campaign, and the majority of the team, including the general management, were aware of what was happening, then the further removal of the posts on Instagram and the recognition of the justice of the cancellation is the only correct decision.
In such a case, the company would face a long rehabilitation process, as well as internal and external investigations, and possibly a lawsuit. However, if the publications were a series of accidents, the only mistake was not paying attention to the fact that the public perceived their activities from the wrong perspective (Issawi, 2022). Hence, one could be assured of a display of weakness on the part of management. By removing all publications and accepting all accusations as true, Balenciaga allowed herself to be subjected to radicalism and injustice, thus showing that she was not ready to stand up for her values and righteousness.
The brand, which has many fans around the world, positioned its mission as the desire to unite different cultures in the field of fashion. The ideals of unity and the dialogue of different worldviews have always been seen in different aspects of the company’s activity (Issawi, 2022). Balenciaga’s advertising companies have always been distinguished by the extravagance and boldness of their ideas and the story with the children was to be another platform where it was necessary to assert their right to originality and unambiguity.
Conclusion
Thus, the management had to do their best to show that, while walking the line of what was permissible, they were still on the side of ethics and legality. Unable to find the resources to correctly navigate the flood of criticism, the Balenciaga went into public repentance, believing it was a chance to rid themselves of problems. However, this position provoked the loss of this company’s reputation as confident, ambitious designers who are willing to explain their decisions in a reasoned way without becoming a victim of self-created epatage. Hence, it would not have provoked a chain of influencers’ further reactions.
References
The Balenciaga scandal: Here’s what you need to know (2022). Fashion Magazine. Web.
Issawi, D. (2022). What to know about the Balenciaga Ad scandal. The Cut. Web.