Oliviero Toscani - The Rage of Images

A dead soldier's blood-soaked t-shirt; a nun kissing a priest; a gaunt young man with AIDS; all were images used by the fashion label Benetton to advertise its clothing in the 90s. The provocative campaign was the work of Italian photographer Oliviero Toscani, a man who brought topics such as war, racism, the death penalty, and the misery of refugees into the business of advertising. His posters set off a storm of indignation throughout the world; in many places they were banned. Toscani's “Reverse Psychology Marketing” challenges the intelligence and the consciousness of its audience; rather than praising products and tempting people to buy, it seeks to enlighten.
The Rage of Images examines the now 68-year-old artist and pioneer of anti-advertising whose career began with fashion shoots for labels such as Fiorucci, Armani and Esprit. It also looks at the private man who broke with Benetton in 2001 and now works independently, designing ad campaigns that go far beyond the mainstream.