Benetton uses domestic violence to sell clothes?

[UPDATE: Broadsheet is reporting that Benetton is denying having anything to do with these ads.]

I’m a bit speechless about this one. Benetton has apparently released a series of at least three of these ads, “in the public interest”. You can see them here, here and here, over at Ads of the World.com.

Given Benetton’s reputation, and their assertion that it’s in a good cause, I had to do a double take. But, yes, they really are using models made to look like the victims of domestic violence to hawk their clothes. Yes, domestic violence is bad, but why not buy this jumper I’m wearing?