A new ad campaign brought to you by the elite designer brand Balenciaga features images of children holding stuffed animals in bondage and “virtual child pornography” documents.
The images have resulted in widespread concerns that Balenciaga is promoting pedophilia on their website.
In one photo, a young red-headed girl can be observed standing on a bed while holding a teddy bear donning fishnets and leather straps on its wrists and ankles. In a separate photo, another little girl can be seen holding a purple stuffed animal wearing BDSM-style leather straps.
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
A copy of a Supreme Court case which that ruled child pornography isn’t protected free speech, page 11 from Williams v. Supreme Court (2008), was also included in Balenciaga’s ad campaign.
In a seperate photo, a handbag can be seen on a table with a mix of various papers. Fragments of text from the child porn Supreme Court ruling can be observed towards the bottom of the bag.
The text on the paper states:
And “simulated” sexual intercourse is not sexual intercourse that is merely suggested, but rather sexual intercourse that is explicitly portrayed, even though (through camera tricks or otherwise) it may not actually have occurred. The portrayal must cause a reasonable viewer to believe that the actors actually engaged in that conduct on camera. Critically, unlike in Free Speech Coalition, § 2252A(a)(3)(B)(ii)’s requirement of a “visual depiction of an actual minor” makes clear that, although the sexual intercourse may be simulated, it must involve actual children (unless it is obscene). This change eliminates any possibility that virtual child pornography or sex between youthful-looking adult actors might be covered by the term “simulated sexual intercourse.”
After receiving intense backlash over the controversial ad campaign, Balenciaga appeared to have entirely scrubbed their Instagram account. According to separate reports, additional images concerning children faced scrutiny.
THEY DELETED ALL OF THEIR INSTAGRAM POSTS LMAO pic.twitter.com/ZWfgROhngr
— shoe (@shoe0nhead) November 21, 2022
“Balenciaga’s ad campaign comes at a time when the apparent normalization of youth exposure to ‘kink’ has become a point of issue for those concerned about child safeguarding,” wrote the feminist publication Reduxx.
While the designer brand has removed most of the child content from their site, one image featuring a little boy and a bondage bear remains.
Though a common brand commonly associated with luxury, Balenciaga recently made headlines when it severed its relationship with artist and fashion mogul Kanye West after his allegedly anti-Semitic comments.
