Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 2001 Activist Advertising: Case Studies of United Colors of Benetton's AIDS -Related Company Promotion. Heidi Jolene Brough Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Brough, Heidi Jolene, "Activist Advertising: Case Studies of United Colors of Benetton's AIDS -Related Company Promotion." (2001). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 238. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/238 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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ACTIVIST ADVERTISING: CASE STUDIES OF UNITED COLORS OF BENETTON’S AIDS-RELATED COMPANY PROMOTION A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment o f the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Speech Communication by Heidi Jolene Brough B.A., Northwest Nazarene College, 1992 M.A., Emerson College, 1993 May 2001 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number 3010371 ___ ® UMI UMI Microform 3010371 Copyright 2001 by Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My interest in United Colors of Benetton dates back to my involvement in intercollegiate forensics competition at Northwest Nazarene College. I developed a speech concerning the company’s advertising for the communication analysis/rhetorical criticism event. At that time the reviews for my efforts were mixed; one judge said that he had seen my speech done before and better, while other judges awarded the speech first place honors. I trust this final effort has not been seen before and that it is worthy of doctoral consideration. The two people whom faithfully encouraged and expanded my efforts while I studied and later taught at N.N.C. were Mrs. Merilyn Thompson and Dr. Dennis Waller. I appreciate so much the years of support these two have extended to me and find it fitting that an interest bom out of my involvement in the speech program at N.N.C. led to a dissertation in my doctoral program at L.S.U. Merilyn and Dennis, thank you for your friendship and your investment in me. Additional colleagues to thank while I studied or taught at N.N.C. include the following: Dr. Karl Martin, Dr. Earl Owns, Dr. Judy Sadler-Marlett, Dr. Karen Smucker, Dr. Newell Morgan, and Dr. Kevin Dennis. In addition, I wish to thank Dr. Matthew Sobnosky, my advisor while I attended Emerson College, who led me to the doctoral program at L.S.U. Matt, I appreciate your wisdom. Thank you for patiently expanding my safe little world. I greatly appreciate the best boss in the world, Donna Lant from Karcher Estates, for her patience, her encouragement, and for allowing me the time to complete my dissertation. Without that freedom I never would have finished. Special thanks also to my sister, Amy, for supporting me through this whole process. I know that she is almost as happy to be finished with the project as I am. ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. I also would like to thank the rest of my family for their belief in my capabilities and potential. I love you all. Additionally, I thank my committee members for their help: Dr. Michael Bowman, Dr. Ruth Laurion-Bowman, Dr. Mary Frances HopKins, Dr. Andrew Bang, and Dr. Peggy Prenshaw. I appreciate your insight, encouragement, and willingness to be involved. Finally, I wish to thank my future husband, Randy Nye, for his encouragement. Thank you for letting me pick your brain and for listening to me vent. I trust we will survive the post-dissertation era. We have made it this far! I thank God for you. iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................... ii ABSTRACT v CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 1 2 ACTIVIST ADVERTISING .................................................................. 29 3 THE DAVID KIRBY AD .................................................................. 76 4 THE HIV POSITIVE ADS .................................................................. 125 5 ADDITIONAL AIDS-RELATED PROMOTION ........................... 160 6 CONCLUSION ............................................................................... 204 WORKS CITED ........................................................................................................ 217 VITA .................................................................................................................................. 230 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT This study explores how advertising and company promotion may be used to address social issues. In particular, I examine how the clothing company United Colors of Benetton attempted to position itself within the AIDS crisis. Specifically, this study investigates through case studies how the Benetton Group used activist advertising and company promotion to bring about social change concerning AIDS-related issues. I also attempt to account for the controversy that the promotion elicited through establishing the anomalous status of the company’s promotion within traditional advertising efforts. The study begins with information concerning the AIDS crisis and AIDS activism and then moves to an overview of United Colors of Benetton’s promotional activities. I discuss traditional fashion advertising and “shock advertising,” and also review activist advertising or advertising that addresses social issues. Specific advertisements and campaigns discussed include United Colors of Benetton’s 1992 David Kirby AIDS advertisement and the 1993 HIV positive advertising campaign. I begin with a description of the advertisements and then move to interpret the ads, as well as to document and account for the controversy the images inspired. Additional areas discussed include Benetton’s use of condom imagery and other AIDS- related company promotion, such as safe sex materials, condom distribution, fund- raising, event sponsorship, art shows, and donations. The study concludes with discussion concerning the interrelatedness of Benetton’s advertising and the work of AIDS art collectives. Additionally, the final section briefly recognizes the parallels in the company’s activist advertising dealing with AIDS and company promotion dealing with racial issues and world peace. v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION I’ve always been cautious but here I am. I am not jealous of the healthy. My feelings about them is, stay non-positive please. Take care of yourself, lead your life and stop this illness. Learn about it and help everyone—especially the young—to steer clear of it.(COLORS 113) Tibor Szendrei captured these words of Leslie, a 38-year-old former computer engineer from Budapest, who lives with AIDS. Leslie claims, “I may have resigned myself to this illness, but it has not overtaken me”(COLORS