Abstract
In November 2022, the French luxury brand Balenciaga found itself at the center of a major communication crisis. The release of its holiday gifting campaign, which featured children alongside sadomasochism-inspired teddy bears and handbags, sparked immediate public outrage. Accusations of sexualizing children and promoting pedophilia were leveled against the brand, resulting in significant reputational damage, vandalized flagship stores, and a widespread online boycott. This article delves into the Balenciaga scandal, analyzing the timeline of events, the brand's responses, the viral impact of the boycott, and the ultimate consequences for the brand.
Introduction
Balenciaga, a prominent name in the luxury fashion world, faced arguably the most significant crisis in its history. The accusations of promoting pedophilia and the sexualization of minors struck a nerve with the public, leading to a severe backlash. Demna Gvasaglia, Balenciaga's creative director since 2015, has been known for pushing boundaries in design and marketing, but this controversy proved to be a step too far.
The controversy extended beyond online criticism, with flagship stores in Los Angeles and London being vandalized. This article examines the communication crisis that ensued, involving social media users, media outlets, celebrities, and even a lawsuit, all of which contributed to the profound damage to Balenciaga's reputation.
Fashion Crisis Communication: A Literature Review
To understand the Balenciaga crisis, it's essential to examine the broader context of crisis communication in the fashion industry.
Pearson and Clair define a crisis as "a low probability, high impact event that threatens the viability of the organization and is characterized by ambiguity of cause, effect and means of resolution, as well as by a belief that decisions must be made quickly." Dubrovski further defines a company crisis as a short-term, undesired, unfavorable, and critical state stemming from internal and external causes that endanger the company's future. Crisis management aims to halt adverse trends, manage the situation, redirect the company, and establish foundations for new development.
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Mitroff and Pearson identify seven categories of crisis events: economic attacks, environmental accidents, occupational health diseases, psycho events, damage to reputation, informational attacks, and breaks. Reputation-related crises are particularly common in the fashion industry, where reputation is a valuable asset that fosters customer loyalty and drives sales.
The rise of digital technologies and social media has dramatically altered the landscape of crisis management. Crises can now spread rapidly and have a multiplied impact. Traditional methods of handling scandals as marketing strategies are no longer viable, as they can severely damage a brand's reputation if not managed effectively. Social media has amplified the frequency of crises in fashion brands in recent years, with notable examples including accusations of racism against Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Uniqlo, and H&M, and cultural appropriation controversies involving Carolina Herrera and Gucci.
Before the pandemic, Instagram was the dominant social media platform in the fashion industry due to its visual nature. However, platforms like TikTok, with its short-form video format and focus on entertainment, have gained prominence. These platforms require brands to be more attentive to cultural sensitivities and approaches. Fashion is increasingly becoming a space where culture is discussed, defended, and renegotiated among various parties.
Consumer Empowerment on Social Media
The rise of digital technologies has shifted the dynamics between brands, consumers, and online communities, empowering the digital consumer. Social media platforms have transformed the traditional communication model from one-to-many to many-to-many, altering the balance of power. Consumers now prefer direct interaction with brands and other consumers, sharing opinions publicly.
User-generated content and two-way communication are crucial aspects of Web 2.0, empowering consumers to influence values, attitudes, and behaviors. This interaction allows consumers to experience empowerment through increased freedom of choice and action. Consumers also believe that brands should participate in social conversations, particularly centennials, who are politically active on social platforms.
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As creators and participants in the digital sphere, consumers can demand, praise, and "cancel" brands based on their actions. Online consumers act as vigilantes, scrutinizing public actors and calling out actions that don't align with their values.
Anger is a highly viral emotion on the internet and can lead to boycotts if crises are not managed effectively. Boycotts are attempts to discourage consumers from purchasing specific products to achieve certain objectives. In the social media era, boycotts can significantly impact a brand's reputation. Online consumers may call for boycotts due to various issues, including racial, environmental, human rights, and political concerns. These causes often align with fundamental moral and ethical values shared by netizens.
The Balenciaga scandal and subsequent boycott stemmed from the brand's perceived violation of a fundamental social agreement: protecting child rights and safeguarding their health, safety, and morals.
Methodology
This analysis uses the case study methodology, which involves an in-depth investigation of a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context. This approach is suited to understanding the complexity of the Balenciaga scandal as a social issue. The research involved a literature review of crisis management in the fashion industry and consumer empowerment in the digital sphere. Secondary sources were used to analyze the timeline of events, the actors involved, and the communication strategies employed during the scandal. A qualitative analysis was conducted, examining the timeline of events, the actors involved, and the communication strategies employed by Balenciaga. Additionally, a quantitative analysis was performed, compiling social media posts related to the scandal.
The Timeline of the Crisis
The Balenciaga crisis unfolded over several weeks, marked by key events and responses.
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November 16: The Controversial Gift Shop Campaign
Balenciaga released its holiday gifting campaign, featuring children holding or surrounded by plush teddy bears adorned with fishnet tops, leather harnesses, and in some cases, black eyes. These bears were, in fact, plush handbags.
November 21: The Garde Robe SS23 Collection and a Provocative Prop
Balenciaga released its Garde Robe SS23 collection, featuring celebrities such as Nicole Kidman, Bella Hadid, and Isabelle Huppert. However, the collection was overshadowed by a product photo of a Women's Hourglass XS Handbag. Behind the handbag was a paperwork prop from a Supreme Court decision on child pornography laws.
Initial Reactions and Social Media Firestorm
The images from both campaigns quickly circulated online, sparking outrage and accusations of child exploitation and the promotion of pedophilia. Diet Prada, a fashion industry commentator, was among the first to highlight the controversial elements of the campaigns.
One ad featured a child model with a teddy bear that was wearing black leather and chains, which many likened to BDSM apparel. Another photo had Balenciaga’s name spelled wrong and only showed the words Baal which just so happens to be a Canaanite-Phoenician deity that kids were ritualistically sacrificed to. There were also books shown by an author and Belgian painter, Michael Borremans, that contain lots of disturbing artwork.
A tweet that read, “Balenciaga just did a photoshoot for their new products recently which included a very purposely poorly hidden court document about ‘virtual child porn’…normal stuff” went viral with the hashtags #burnbalenciaga and #cancelbalenciaga. Up until January 2023, the publication has obtained 33,500 retweets, 11,200 mentions and 127,000 likes.
November 22: Media Coverage and Heightened Scrutiny
Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson openly accused Balenciaga of promoting child pornography, further fueling the controversy.
November 23: Balenciaga's Initial Apology and Campaign Pull
Balenciaga removed all traces of both the Gift Shop campaign and Garde Robe collection from its website and social media platforms. The brand issued its first apology, which has since been deleted, stating, "We sincerely apologize for any offense our holiday campaign may have caused. Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign. We apologize for displaying unsettling documents in our campaign."
Balenciaga also released an update on the investigation and reorganization that was underway.
November 25: Lawsuit Against North Six
Balenciaga filed a $25 million lawsuit against North Six, the production company responsible for the spring ad featuring the Supreme Court documents, but not against the photographer, Chris Maggio. The summons read: “Balenciaga believes that Defendants’ inexplicable acts and omissions were malevolent or, at the very least, extraordinarily reckless” and placed all responsibility of the campaign’s crisis on the accused.
Susan Scafidi of Fordham University’s Fashion Law Institute stated that “Balenciaga filed an immediate, media-worthy lawsuit in order to disavow the campaign in the strongest possible terms and offer the public a different pair of villains in the form of the production company and set designer”.
November 27: Kim Kardashian's Statement
Kim Kardashian, a celebrity closely associated with Balenciaga, publicly addressed the scandal, stating, "I am currently re-evaluating my relationship with the brand, basing it off their willingness to accept accountability for something that should have never happened to begin with - & the actions I am expecting to see them take to protect children."
November 28: Peak of the Crisis and Further Action
The crisis reached its peak with the highest number of Google searches for "Balenciaga scandal." The United States, Balenciaga's second-largest market, accounted for the majority of these searches.
Balenciaga issued a statement admitting “a series of grievous errors for which Balenciaga takes responsibility” and announced ongoing “internal and external investigations” as well as reaching out to “organizations who specialize in child protection and aim at ending child abuse and exploitation”.
December 2: Apologies from Demna and Cédric Charbit
Demna Gvasalia, Balenciaga's creative director, and Cédric Charbit, president and CEO, released separate apologies. Demna took responsibility for "the wrong artistic choice of concept" and stated, "As much as I would sometimes like to provoke a thought through my work, I would NEVER have an intention to do that with such an awful subject as child abuse that I condemn. Period." Charbit reiterated "my sincere apologies for the offense caused and take my responsibility" and outlined actions the brand would take to "learn from our mistakes as an organization," including new content validation processes, reorganization of the image department, dropping the lawsuit against the third parties involved in the campaign, and donations to organizations focused on children's safety.
Aftermath and Continued Scrutiny
Since the scandal, Balenciaga has maintained a low profile on social media and public appearances. Demna canceled his appearance at Business of Fashion's VOICES 2022 and the London Fashion Awards. Balenciaga will also not participate in the next Haute Couture show in Paris.
The Role of Key Individuals
Several individuals played key roles in the unfolding of the Balenciaga controversy.
- Demna Gvasalia: As the creative director of Balenciaga, Demna was ultimately responsible for the artistic direction of the campaigns. His history of pushing boundaries and creating controversial designs made him a central figure in the backlash.
- Gabriele Galimberti and Chris Maggio: These photographers shot the Spring 2023 and Winter 2022 campaigns, respectively. Galimberti clarified that he was not in control of the "objects displayed" and that the targeting and accusations were being targeted towards the wrong people.
- Kim Kardashian: As a prominent celebrity and long-time partner of Balenciaga, Kardashian's statement on the scandal carried significant weight. Her decision to re-evaluate her relationship with the brand added to the pressure on Balenciaga to take accountability.
- Candace Owens: The political commentator, conservative author, talk show host, and activist, called out Kardashian for not responding or making a statement on the matter.
- Diet Prada: As a fashion industry commentator, Diet Prada played a crucial role in bringing attention to the controversial elements of the campaigns.
Brand Imitation Controversy
Adding to Balenciaga's woes, artist Tra My Nguyen accused the brand of copying her work. Nguyen claimed that Balenciaga contacted her after seeing her project, which involved draping clothing over motorbikes to create "wearable sculptures." After Nguyen sent her portfolio, she received no further communication from Balenciaga. Subsequently, Balenciaga posted a photograph on its Instagram account that was strikingly similar to Nguyen's sculpture, but with Balenciaga clothing. Nguyen and Diet Prada criticized Balenciaga for failing to credit Nguyen or acknowledge her inspiration.
Analysis of Balenciaga's Response
Balenciaga's response to the crisis was initially perceived as slow and inadequate. The brand's first apology was criticized for being insincere and for failing to take full responsibility. The decision to sue North Six was seen by some as an attempt to deflect blame and portray Balenciaga as a victim.
However, Balenciaga's subsequent actions, including the apologies from Demna and Cédric Charbit, the commitment to internal investigations and new content validation processes, and the donations to children's safety organizations, were seen as more genuine efforts to address the concerns raised.
Lessons Learned
The Balenciaga scandal offers several important lessons for fashion brands and the broader business world.
- The Importance of Due Diligence: Brands must exercise extreme caution and conduct thorough due diligence when developing marketing campaigns, particularly those involving sensitive topics such as children.
- The Power of Social Media: Social media can amplify both positive and negative sentiment, making it crucial for brands to monitor online conversations and respond quickly and effectively to crises.
- The Need for Authenticity: Consumers are increasingly discerning and demand authenticity from brands. Sincere apologies and concrete actions are essential for rebuilding trust after a crisis.
- The Value of Ethical Considerations: Brands must prioritize ethical considerations in all aspects of their business, from product design to marketing and supply chain management.
tags: #diet #prada #balenciaga #controversy