Italy’s Benetton Group said on Thursday it has cut professional ties with Oliviero Toscani, the photographer behind the advertising campaign that helped make it a global brand in the 1980s, over remarks he made about a 2018 bridge collapse, Trend reports citing Reuters.
The collapse of the Morandi bridge in Genoa, operated by a unit of the Benetton family-controlled infrastructure group Atlantia, claimed 43 lives.
The disaster led to heavy criticism of the Benetton family and has triggered calls from lawmakers to revoke the group’s motorway concession.
During an interview with state-owned Rai radio on Tuesday, Toscani was asked for his view about members of Italy’s “Sardines” grassroots movement - which opposes the populism of far-right Italian leader Matteo Salvini - meeting members of the Benetton family. The meeting had been widely criticised by politicians and the media due to the Benetton’s involvement in the bridge tragedy.
Toscani appeared to suggest he didn’t have a problem with the meeting and also said: “Who cares if a bridge falls down?” when asked to comment on a photograph of the Benettons with members of the Sardines.
Toscani subsequently issued a tweet saying that he was sorry about his “extrapolated and confused words,” adding that he was upset about the tragedy, like all Italians.
The Benetton Group and founder and Chairman Luciano Benetton said in a statement that they distanced themselves from Toscani’s remarks.
“Benetton and the whole company renew their sincere sympathy towards the families of the victims and all those involved in this terrible tragedy”.