Benetton pulls controversial ad of pope kissing imam

By: 13 years ago

TOPSHOTS. Picture taken on Nov. 16, 2011 in Paris, shows one of many Benetton clothing store windows covered by posters as part of the launch of a provocative publicity campaign entitled "UNHATE". The same campaign appears on newspapers, magazines and on Internet websites. AFP

ROME—Italian clothing giant Benetton said Wednesday that it was pulling a photo montage of the pope kissing a leading imam that was part of a new global ad campaign and that had outraged the Vatican.

The company said in a statement that it was “sorry that the use of the image had so hurt the sensibilities of the faithful… The point of this campaign was solely to battle the culture of hate in all its forms.” The statement came shortly after the Vatican expressed “the firmest protest for this absolutely unacceptable use of the image of the Holy Father.”