Balenciaga sparks outrage over ‘depraved’ ad campaign featuring small children and teddy bears in servitude

High fashion brand Balenciaga faces backlash over ad campaign featuring photos of child models with teddy bears dressed in bondage gear; the brand also used an image of a Supreme Court opinion in a child pornography case as support to promote a handbag.

Ad campaign photographer Gabriele Galimberti said the images were part of a series of projects called “Toy Stories,” according to his Instagram page. The images, which now appear to have been mostly deleted from the global brand’s website, sparked outrage from conservative campaigners.

Penny Nance, CEO of Concerned Women for America, a conservative women’s rights group, called the images “exploitative propaganda.”

“It’s not about them being provocative and getting attention,” Nance said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “The whole campaign sexualizes children, period. It’s child exploitation, period. And it feeds and normalizes a dark, depraved culture.”

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Penny Young Nance is the president of Concerned Women for America.

“Balenciaga must answer,” he added.

Kelsey Bolar, with the Independent Women’s Forum, echoed that sentiment: “Balenciaga has no business introducing ‘bondage,’ a perverse sexual practice for adults, to young children.”

“Worse still, the fashion house is using these images to advertise their products, essentially profiting from the sexualization of children,” he said. “The desire to sexualize innocent children is a disturbing trend that has emerged in today’s culture, and this is a twisted and disturbing example.”

Kanye West, aka Ye, is seen wearing a Balenciaga boxing mouth guard during Paris Fashion Week on October 2, 2022 in Paris.
(Edward Berthelot/GC Images via Getty Images)

Another photograph published on Balenciaga’s website to promote its “Hourglass” handbag in collaboration with Adidas also caught the attention of critics. The photograph captures the purse on a desk with a portion of a page from a Supreme Court opinion, US v. Williams, which criminalized the making of child pornography.

The visible part of this court document in the photo has a reference to another Supreme Court case, Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition, in which the court struck down part of the Child Pornography Prevention Act (CPPA) of 1996 and said that a virtual child. Pornography is protected speech.

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“They’re trying to get attention by bringing in a Supreme Court child pornography case as a showcase. It’s connecting child pornography to their product,” said Benjamin Bull, general counsel of the National Sexual Exploitation Center. “It’s an exploitative device to get attention.”

Mary Morgan, host of the YouTube show “Pop Culture Crisis,” noted the brand’s recent departure from Twitter, suggesting the move may have been inspired by the new leadership of Elon Musk as CEO, who recently say their top priority will be tackling child exploitation. content on the site.

“Balenciaga recently quit Twitter, and it’s very suspicious since they just released an ad campaign featuring teddy bear children in bondage clothing and a poorly hidden court document about ‘virtual child p—,'” he wrote in Fox News Digital. . “Balenciaga’s Instagram account has also deleted all posts. When a major tech platform finally enforces its rules against child exploitation (even under the guise of ‘art’), pay close attention to the brands or individuals rushing to get out.”

Kim Kardashian in a pink Balenciaga dress, October 10, 2021 in New York City.
(Gotham Images/GC)

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Balenciaga did not respond to Fox News’ request for comment on the photography and creative decisions behind the campaign.

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Actress Nicole Kidman appears in the brand’s campaign for its spring 2023 collection. Kim Kardashian and Bella Hadid have also been prominent brand ambassadors.