Benetton creative director says farewell

Italian clothing manufacturer Benetton will not be appointing a direct replacement for its former creative director Oliviero Toscani, who has left the company after 18 years. All communications and advertising material will now be handled by Italian communications research centre Fabrica, which was established by Toscani and Luciano Benetton in 1994.

Toscani’s reign at the helm of the group’s creative department sparked much controversy following a series of advertising campaigns featuring images of everything from new-born babies to dying Aids victims. Last year’s photographs of American prisoners on death row reignited the outrage towards his choice of material.

But Benetton denies Toscani’s departure is due to his controversial choices, stating: “We thank Oliviero Toscani for his fundamental contribution to a new advertising concept that has responded with great efficiency to the brand communication needs of the multinational, present in 120 countries worldwide.”