Once fondly admired for its avant-garde style, Balenciaga fell from grace in late 2022 when it released ad campaigns that were accused of implicitly supporting child exploitation. The scandal saw the revered fashion house “cancelled” across the globe, facing severe backlash and boycotts. Above the Law reports on how Balenciaga has sought to recover from that bruising experience.
Partly responsible for the controversy was the fashion house’s 2022 holiday ad campaign, which controversially featured children holding teddy bears dressed in avatar of adult sexuality. Borrowing from the works of photographer Gabriele Galimberti, the campaign sparked widespread condemnation, causing Balenciaga to retract its campaign.
The controversy didn’t end there. Another campaign launched by Balenciaga surprisingly included a U.S. Supreme Court decision; namely, U.S. v. Williams. This 2008 ruling upheld the PROTECT Act that made it illegal to distribute or advertise child pornography. This unexpected inclusion in a fashion campaign raised many eyebrows and led to further outrage. Balenciaga later apologized and directed the full blame towards its third-party production company, North Six.
Later, however, this blame game backfired. As critics pointed out, larger companies like Balenciaga routinely approve campaigns before launching them, raising questions about where the true responsibility lay. The lawsuit that Balenciaga subsequently filed against North Six drew even more attention, essentially causing a Streisand Effect, meaning its attempts to sue drew even more attention to the controversy. Balenciaga eventually backed down, apologizing, withdrawing the lawsuit and pledging to re-evaluate its processes.
Although the incident took its toll – the fashion house’s reputation stumbled, plummeting from the No. 4 spot on Lyst’s influential index to the No. 18 and sales slumped in Q4 2022 – Balenciaga’s leadership sought to steer the brand towards recovery. Balenciaga’s creative director, Demna, expressed regret over the 2022 holiday campaign and emphasized the brand’s commitment to establishing better checks and validations in its image department.
The company also partnered with the National Children’s Alliance and made steps to rehabilitate its image at high-profile events such as the Met Gala and Cannes Film Festival. These efforts culminated with the return of Balenciaga’s most influential ambassador, Kim Kardashian. After a period of a low-profile, Balenciaga is now slowly making a transition to being recognized for its superior craftsmanship rather than scandal. As an example of how a brand can recover from a significant scandal, Balenciaga offers an important case study.