Controversial 2008 Beijing Olympics Ads - Benetton: Tibet vs China, 'Victims'

Italian fashion house, United Colors of Benetton, is sparking controversy with a two page ad that carries a China-Tibet theme.

The ad shows a Tibetan monk and a Chinese soldier praying face to face with the word “Victims” above their heads. The ad is featured in the 74th edition of Benetton’s Colors Magazine and was released the first day of the Olympics in the main Italian daily newspapers and in the French daily “Le Monde”.

The August Benetton Colors magazine features 30 photos of the recent Sichuan earthquake and 30 prayers by Tibetan monks for the earthquake’s Chinese victims.

According to Benetton’s web site the magazine, “Attempts to make a small contribution to dialogue and engagement between Tibetan and Chinese people.”

In order to capitalize on the hype for good, Benetton is currently selling t-shirts with the controversial Tibet/China image in its megastores. Benetton is also a big supporter of the Red Cross in providing help to China’s earthquake survivors.