Benetton Uses Ethnicity Data to Create Computer-Generated 'Models'

Brand's Latest 'Faces' Represent Racial Make-Up of Different Cities

Published On
Feb 05, 2016
The Faces of the City

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For decades, Benetton has been known for using models of different skin colors, ethnicities and appearances to promote diversity with its "United Colors" campaigns. But the latest campaign doesn't use real models; instead, the Italian fashion retailer has used computer-generated faces based on data from different cities around the world.

The campaign, appearing globally in print, out-of-home, in digital media and in-store, was created by 180 Amsterdam. It depicts a series of faces created based on the facial features and racial mix of different cities around the world; London, Paris, Tokyo, Berlin, Milan and New York. The starting point was investigating the ethnic make-up of each capital, using statistical, demographic analysis from a number of population information sources, and incorporating international data as well as city-specific census reports, in order to most accurately reflect the proportion of each city's specific racial mix. The team then visited each city to collect portraits of people living there.

The final models' faces were created using an algorithm that aims to ensure that the proportion of each ethnicity is reflected through features such as skin tone, the shape of the eyes and nose, hair type and color, as well as overall face shape. In the end, though, the computer-generated models almost feel pretty mainstream, compared to the more diverse images of beauty from Benetton's past.

The work is the first by 180 Amsterdam for Benetton -- the agency was appointed to handle projects in 2015. Benetton also still handles some advertising in-house.

Credits

Date
Feb 05, 2016
Brand :
Benetton
Client :
Benetton
Agency :
180 Amsterdam
Advertising Director :
Bernardo Lecci
Worldwide Communications Director :
Gianluca Pastore
Chief Product and Marketing Officer :
John Mollanger
President and CCO :
Al Moseley
Executive Creative Director/Production :
Dan Treichel
Executive Creative Director/Production :
Dave Canning
Art Director :
Rachel Kennedy
Copywriter :
Joe Craig
Client Services Director :
Melanie Portelli
Account Manager :
Mackenzie Walen
Strategic Planner :
Clare Sattertwaite
Producer :
Louise Tench
Integrated Producer :
Jo Kelly
Integrated Producer :
Neil Henry
Editor :
Chee-Han Wong
Content Producer :
Claire Ford
Production Company :
Not To Scale
Executive Producer :
Dan O'Rourke
Producer :
Maud Beckers
Producer :
Michelle Hendrickx
Director :
Hello Savants
Production Company :
Lemonade
Production :
Emma Allan
Production :
Sarah Gent
Production :
Amber Webster
Production Company :
Media.Monks
Executive Digital Producer :
Xander-Quentin Amo
Media Agency :
MEC
Social Media Agency :
Doing

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