Bondage bears: Balenciaga under fire for twisted ad campaign sexualizing kids
Controversial fashion brand Balenciaga is in the news for yet again, well, controversy. But this time, it isn’t a “destroyed” shoe collection or an exorbitantly priced trash pouch.
Not long after breaking ties with rapper and antisemite Kanye West, Balenciaga has people fuming due to an ad campaign that features photos of children holding teddy bears that seem to be dressed in S&M and bondage gear.
The photos have an overarching sinister aura as well.
Internet sleuths who’ve taken a deeper look at the less-than-subtle photoshoot have also zoomed into other photos and found more disturbing content alluding to child sexualization.
One of them includes a document about virtual child porn, hidden in plain sight.
the brand “Balenciaga” just did a uh….. interesting… photoshoot for their new products recently which included a very purposely poorly hidden court document about ‘virtual child porn’
normal stuff pic.twitter.com/zjMN5WhZ0s
— shoe (@shoe0nhead) November 21, 2022
The product being advertised is the brand’s new holiday plush bag collection.
In light of the backlash, Balenciaga has issued an apology on Instagram and removed the campaign photos from everywhere.
“We sincerely apologize for any offence our holiday campaign may have caused,” Balenciaga’s IG story reads. “Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign.”
The brand further apologized for “displaying unsettling documents” in their Spring 2023 campaign photoshoot, and added that it’s taking action against those responsible for designing the set for the shoot.
But critics are calling BS on the apology.
Balenciaga only apologized and deleted their content because they got caught.
The grooming and indoctrination of children is truly evil.
— Mayra Flores (@MayraFlores2022) November 23, 2022
The high-end brand is being dragged for other double standards as well.
Wait, shouldn’t balenciaga have their bank accounts closed, get banned on social media, stores temporarily shut down, and all celebrities condemn them first?
Or is that only for black artist and athletes?
— CCG BRYSON (@RealBrysonGray) November 23, 2022
Balenciaga will condemn Kanye West on the same Instagram they post what is basically soft-core child pornography.
That’s how you know what evil looks like.
— Lavern Spicer 🇺🇸 (@lavern_spicer) November 23, 2022
Many still believe this was one of Balenciaga’s deliberate and scandal-causing marketing tactics, and not an unfortunate accident.
the balenciaga thing sucks because they definitely did it on purpose for outrage marketing and people like tucker carlson are already tying it into the “drag queen groomer” panic. all to sell some $500 t shirts
— matt (@mattxiv) November 23, 2022