Since the early 1990, people in the world imprint shocking and provocative pictures from billboards on hiway or magazines, not from television or photographers’ exhibitions. The picture of three hearts with letters ‘white’, ‘black’, ‘yellow’, the picture of black woman breastfeeding white baby, and etc. All of the pictures, there is a logo that says “United Colors of Benetton.” Benetton is one of Italian fashion brands. Usually, commercials of fashion brands focus on their design, luxury, trends, and beauty. However, unlike the other brands, the ads of Benetton contain social messages. To be suitable to their famous slogan, the advertisements of Benetton hire different colors and races of models. From tons of ads of Benetton, I chose one that reflects two aspects of social identity; race and gender.
This is one I chose from the adverts of Benetton. There are two females and one baby in the picture; one is African lady and the other is European, and the baby is Asian. Benetton explains that the women are lesbian couple adopting an Asian baby. They all belong to different races and their skins are all different colors, but they are in same blanket. This picture shows that even though they have different skin colors and races, they are a family. It is not a common family we see in our neighbors; but Benetton is trying to say that we all are same people no matter which races we have. There are so many different people in the world but they all live on the earth. Asians are not different from Africans or Europeans because they are all humans with same hearts and bodies. To describe the unity of this family; the women are holding their baby with their hands together and are covering themselves with one blanket. This picture clearly illustrates united colors of a family.
The picture also includes the social identity of gender. Since a long time ago, a couple of male and female is considered as a standard couple. In Devor reading, women and men have different roles; childbirth and maternity for women, supporting family and paternity for men. As men and women have different duties and powers, a combination of man and woman is a source to make a family. In the picture, the family has to females but not male. So it seems that they can make a couple but not a family. However, Benetton shatters perception of a family of a mother and a father. This advertisement asserts that there can be two moms for the kid. There are no gender roles in the family because the two mothers can separate and complete father’s duties. Benetton suggests that the social awareness of genders might be wrong by this commercial.
We cannot say that they are not a family because they have different skin colors. And we cannot say that they are not a family because there are two women and no man. By this advertisement, Benetton tries to combine and unite races and change perception of gender roles.
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