Benetton's new campaign supports non-employed youth

The UNEMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR communication campaign, set up under the aegis of the UNHATE Foundation, seeks to challenge clichés about youth non-employment and asserts a belief in the creativity of the world’s youth. Through it, the UNHATE Foundation, whose aim is to promote a culture of non-hate, will support youth to become actors of change against indifference and stigma.

According to its tradition of raising awareness for socially delicate and controversial issues, United Colors of Benetton wants to help change perceptions of non-employed youth. This is in line with the brand’s entrepreneurial, social and ethical values. During the 2011 UNHATE campaign, as many as 500 million people from around the world participated in a broad range of traditional and digital communication activities.

Young non-employed people, between the ages of 18 and 30, are invited to submit outlines of projects to be supported: within the UNHATE Foundation mission, their ideas must lead to concrete social impact in their community. The outlines for projects in different areas (including artistic projects) will be submitted to the UNHATE Foundation website and will be voted by the online community. Their choice of the 100 most deserving projects will receive support from the UNHATE Foundation to turn these projects into reality.

United Colors of Benetton wants to send a positive message of hope to celebrate the ability of young people to find new, intelligent and creative ways of facing the problem of unemployment and finding their own unique solution.

“The new United Colors of Benetton communication campaign presents a realistic portrait of today’s society by actively tackling a current problem, that of youth non-employment and the potential conflict between generations, in order to show it in a new light and create value for the immense human capital of young people”, said Alessandro Benetton, Chairman of the Benetton Group. “We can’t change the world but United Colors of Benetton wants to use its voice to champion young people and celebrate their strength and value”.

The UNEMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR communication campaign is supported by a global set of communication activities that present also a series of portrait photos of NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training) below the age of 30. The NEETs have been selected worldwide on the basis of profiles that narrated their identity built on study and commitment as well as their interests and passions. These are young people who are seeking their path in life, examples of a generation, the first since the War, which has to fight harder to find a job and build a better future for themselves then their parents.