Some advertisers strive to be provocative in an effort to make a memorable impact with their campaigns for products such as FCUK, Opium perfume and Tango.

Benetton have been the most consistently controversial with massive poster campaigns highlighting issues including race, AIDS, war, genocide and the death penalty.

Benetton, a manufacturer of quality jumpers, uses as its slogan 'United colours of Benetton' which tied in well with the depiction of white and black people (and animals) in striking situations. It is harder to justify the other themes except that they all reflect the conscience of photographer Oliviero Toscani. His close relationship with Luciano Benetton allowed Toscani free reign to use the company's massive advertising budget imaginatively, confronting the public with difficult issues. Each topic provoked debate and usually some limited protest, all the while raising awareness of the Benetton brand.

But when Toscani photographed inmates of Death Row the backlash from the families of murder victims was more stinging as it succeeded in persuading the 'wholesome' Sears chain not to stock Benetton products - a massive blow which led to the end of Toscani's tenure at Benetton.

see the official site at http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/work/trouble/blood/sweaters.shtml

(if that is down, here is a copy of the text from that page!)