Gucci and Harry Styles have landed in a controversy over their latest HA HA HA ad campaign.
The controversy follows the major fracas involving Balenciaga, which forced the brand and its top management to issue apologies and take down their ads that were criticised for alleged normalisation of child abuse.
Pictures posted on the Kering-owned fashion house’s Instagram account around a week ago show the singer-actor wearing a T-shirt with an angry-faced pink teddy bear. He is standing next to what appears like a child-size mattress.
On the T-shirt are the words “I want more berries and that summer feeling” — part of the lyrics from his song “Watermelon Sugar” from his second studio album Fine Line (2019). The song won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance in 2021.
More about the Gucci campaign featuring Harry Styles
Commentators slam ad
Several Instagram users criticised the new HA HA HA campaign with strong words in the comment section of the post.
“Is this an ad for kids mattresses? If not… why is a kids mattress included with a man in a fashion ad… what are you trying to normalise,” a user wrote.
“What was the creative thinking behind including a toddler bed? What’s the narrative? Who’s idea was this and where did they find this inspo? I’m disturbed,” said another.
“Just stop this kind of advertising!!! All of us are aware,” read a third comment.
“Unless he is about to announce his expecting a baby, nothing else can justify the Mattress. I don’t want to hear it !!!!!!” a commentator wrote.
“Hey, Gucci… LEAVE OUR KIDS ALONE!” declared another.
The controversial Instagram post and pictures had not been deleted from Gucci’s official handle at the time of writing.
What is the HA HA HA campaign?
Styles, who is 28 years old, has been involved in the design of the HA HA HA collection with creative director Alessandro Michele. The collection was announced by Michele on 20 June 2022 during a press conference in Milan as part of the Milan Men’s Fashion Week.
On 23 November, Michele announced that he is leaving the brand.
The Balenciaga row
Gucci’s photos have caused a stir as they come within weeks of a major controversy involving Balenciaga, whose holiday ad campaign featured children in bondage harnesses and costumes. Papers from a Supreme Court case involving federal child pornography laws were also seen in the campaign photos.
Following the backlash, Balenciaga, which, too, is a Kering-owned company, issued two statements via Instagram Stories apologising for the campaign saying that plush bears “should not have been featured with children in this campaign.”
Apologies were also issued by Balenciaga creative director Demna and Cédric Charbit, president and CEO of the company.
Balenciaga pulled down the controversial ads and even filed a USD 25 million lawsuit against the campaign’s producers. The lawsuit was later dropped.
(Main and Featured images: Gucci/@gucci/Instagram)
