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UNITED BENETTON: Never one to avoid controversy, Italian clothing retailer Benetton on Friday took out double-page advertising spreads in a number of leading news dailies worldwide, showing a Tibetan monk and a Chinese soldier praying face-to-face under the word “Victims.” The image, which coincided with the opening day of the Beijing Olympics, was part of the 74th edition of Benetton’s Colors magazine, which “attempts to make a small contribution to dialogue and engagement between Tibetan and Chinese people,” according to the company. “Benetton isn’t taking a position [on the Tibet-China situation],” a Benetton spokeswoman said. “The idea is to leave the image open to interpretation.” The Colors magazine, which hit newsstands in seven languages this month, includes 30 photos of the recent Sichuan earthquake and 30 prayers by Tibetan monks for the Chinese victims. Benetton’s Asia Pacific office is supporting the Red Cross in providing aid to the survivors of the earthquake. T-shirts bearing the Tibet-China image, which was photographed by the company’s in-house creative department, are available in Benetton megastores. — Andrew Roberts
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