Benetton, a renowned Italian luxury fashion brand, was established in 1965 by four siblings of the Benetton family. Recognizing the growing demand for vibrant and colorful clothing, the eldest brother Luciano Benetton ventured into the business by purchasing a knitting machine. This marked the inception of the company, as it released its inaugural collection of stylish sweaters, which were initially sold by Luciano from the rear of his bicycle. The sweaters gained significant popularity within the region, prompting Luciano to invite his sister Giuliana and his younger brothers Gilberto and Carlo to establish the Benetton Group, responsible for supervising the company’s operations.

In 1966, Benetton inaugurated its first physical store in Belluno, Italy. Within a remarkably short span of three years, the brand expanded its presence, opening a store in Paris. Throughout the 1970s, Benetton’s vibrant clothing collection gradually permeated markets worldwide, solidifying the brand’s global reach.

Benetton’s advertising strategy underwent a unique transformation during the 1980s. Departing from the conventional approach of showcasing their fashion products, the brand initiated the iconic “United Colors” ad campaigns. Developed and captured by Oliviero Toscani, these campaigns featured a series of controversial images intended to raise awareness about social and political issues. Noteworthy among these images were depictions of a man afflicted with AIDS, a newborn baby still covered in blood, death row inmates, and the battle-worn pants of a soldier who perished in the Bosnian war. Remarkably, these advertisements steered clear of any direct product promotion, with only subtle placement of the company’s logo to indicate their commercial nature. While Toscani retired from the Benetton campaigns in 2000, the brand’s commitment to controversy and social activism has carried forward into the 21st century. The 2011 “Unhate” advertisements, featuring images of world leaders engaged in provocative kisses, exemplify Benetton’s enduring dedication to generating thought-provoking discussions.

Today, under the Benetton Group, the brand showcases clothing collections for both children and adults, alongside the brands Sisley and Playlife. The company’s retail stores are established in 120 countries, effectively reaching a global clientele. Complementing its fashion offerings, Benetton collaborates with Selective Beauty to produce perfumes for adults and children. The fragrance line was first introduced in 1987, with the debut of Colors de Benetton for men and women. Impressively, the designer brand has since developed an extensive fragrance base, comprising 100 distinct perfumes. Esteemed perfumers such as Valerie Garnuch-Mentzel, Christophe Raynaud, Alain Astori, Beatrice Piquet, Alexandra Kosinski, Richard Herpin, Annick Menardo, Corinne Cachen, Alexandra Carlin, Emilie Bevierre-Coppermann, Olivier Pescheux, Nathalie Feisthauer, Bernard Ellena, Jimmy Studer, Nicolas Beaulieu, Alexandra Monet, Jordi Fernández, Violaine Collas, Pierre-Constantin Guéros, Sonia Constant, and Bérénice Watteau have contributed to the development of Benetton fragrances, spanning from the initial release in 1987 to the most recent addition in 2023.