The Gateway Pundit previously reported that the high-end fashion brand Balenciaga has received internet backlash for a creepy ad that features two young girls holding stuffed animals dressed in what looks to be bondage gear.
In one photo, a little girl with fiery red hair is shown wearing one of the company’s T-shirts while she holds the strap of a white bear that is wearing a vest with a padlocked choker around its neck.
Another photo featured a little girl with brown hair wearing a blue outfit while holding a purple stuffed animal that was also dressed in BDSM gear.
The company also advertised a handbag with a copy of the Supreme Court’s decision in a child pornography case as a prop.
The photographer behind the creepy ad campaign, Gabriele Galimberti, claimed the inspiration for the photos was part of a project series called “Toy Stories,” according to his Instagram page.
“These days I’ve been looking through my archives for old photos, and among many things, I found some alternative shots from my TOY STORIES project, like this one!” he wrote.
“Toy Stories is an ongoing project; wherever I travel in the world, I take portraits of children with their favorite toys,” he added.
The creepy ad sparked outrage online for normalizing child pornography.
On Tuesday, Balenciaga issued an apology for their creepy child BDSM-themed photoshoot for the Spring/Summer 2023 collection that featured sexualized stuffed toys and child porn documents.
“We sincerely apologize for any offense our holiday campaign may have caused. Our plush bear bags should not have been featured with children in this campaign. We have immediately removed the campaign from all platforms,” the company wrote in a statement posted to its Instagram Story.
“We apologize for displaying unsettling documents in our campaign. We take this matter very seriously and are taking legal action against the parties responsible for creating the set and including unapproved items for our Spring 23 campaign photoshoot. We strongly condemn abuse of children in any form. We stand for children’s safety and well-being,” the company added.