Balenciaga Issues an Apology for Ad Showing Children Holding Bondage Teddy Bears
After receiving criticism for an advertisement featuring children holding teddy bears in bondage attire, the high-end fashion house Balenciaga has issued an apology. Many people found the ad campaign depicting young girls playing with bondage-themed toys to be disturbing and inappropriate.
The fashion brand made a statement on Tuesday, which was shared on its Instagram Story. “We apologise for displaying unsettling documents in our campaign. 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 the abuse of children in any form. We stand for children’s safety and well-being,”
The company acknowledged the problem in another Instagram Story, stating that “plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign” and noting that all related content had been removed from the company’s various online properties.
The ads, which debuted earlier this week, were created to promote the website’s holiday gift shop. The photos depicted kids posing with stuffed animals while wearing bondage accessories like fishnet tops, collars with locks, and ankle and wrist restraints.
The photos were met with strong backlash online, with many users accusing Balenciaga of sexualizing children. Many people have commented on the “problematic” ad campaign, criticising the company and questioning the tastefulness of the featured images.
Some internet users have stated that they do not believe Balenciaga’s apology for the photos. In response to the apology, one user commented, “Is Balenciaga dodging accountability by blaming the set designers or am I trippen? What were the unapproved items? Did they JUST realize children shouldn’t be involved after being called out? lmaoo this apology solves nothing.”
One user questioned the brand’s decision to only issue an apology via Instagram stories rather than their main page. He penned, “Is Balenciaga dodging accountability by blaming the set designers or am I trippen? What were the unapproved items? Did they JUST realize children shouldn’t be involved after being called out? lmaoo this apology solves nothing.”