"Are they laughing in our face?": Harry Styles Gucci ad controversy explained as Teddy bear and mattress symbolism sparks debate

As the criticism against Balenciaga for their recent BD*M-themed campaign subsides, Harry Styles’ Gucci advertisement is raising eyebrows online. The singer recently collaborated with the luxury brand to release clothes with child connotations which left netizens immensely disturbed.

The controversial HA HA HA Gucci campaign was released on November 2, weeks before the Balenciaga scandal came to light. In the viral images, Styles was seen wearing an angry looking teddy bear t-shirt while posing next to a toddler-sized mattress.

The 28-year old’s shirt read- "I want more berries and that summer feeling," a lyric borrowed from his Grammy-winning song Watermelon Sugar.

Twitter user points fingers at “disturbing symbolism” in Harry Styles’ Gucci campaign

Controversial social media personality and Twitter user @OliLondonTV recently took to the social media platform to discuss the recent Gucci campaign. He noted that both Gucci and Balenciaga are owned by Kering, a Paris-based luxury goods group. Oli London wrote in the caption:

In another tweet, London commented on how similar to Gucci, Balenciaga was also exposed for their “subtle Child Abuse references.” He went on to describe the symbolism used in the As It Was singer’s Gucci campaign.

London noted that the cherries which were seen on Gucci’s “HA HA HA cherry sweatshirt” symbolized the s*xual connotation of popping one’s cherry, he then pin pointed that the bunnies which were visible on the “HA HA HA bunny t-shirt” showcased p*dophilia, the teddy-bear on the “I want more berries” t-shirt reportedly symbolized being “naked and scared” and the mattress being child-sized only added fuel to the fire.

The tweets were quick to go viral, with several netizens expressing their thoughts on the campaign. Some netizens found the symbolism in the campaign strange and concerning. While others bashed critics online by claiming that they were trying to slam the brand and the singer with no credible evidence of the campaign promoting p*dophilia. A few tweets read:

Neither Harry Styles nor Gucci had addressed the concern towards the HA HA HA campaign at the time of writing this article.

Everything to know about Gucci’s HA HA HA campaign

The campaign was conceptualized by the brand’s former creative director, Alessandra Michele. The art direction was spearheaded by Christopher Simmonds and Mark Borthwick was the photographer.

According to the brand’s official website- “play is at the very heart of the collection, which uses menswear as a tool of the avant-garde.” It continued:

The HA HA HA campaign was reportedly named after the laughing face emoji as well as the initials of Harry Styles and the designer Alessandra Michele.

For those unversed, Balenciaga amassed heaps of backlash after they released their 2022 Holiday ad campaign that featured children posing with the brand’s Plush Toy Bag. The teddy-bear-like bags looked as if they were dressed in BD*M gear, which left netizens enraged. The photoshoot also included a legal document that showed the Supreme Court’s ruling on a child p*rnography case which left netizens baffled.

About the author

Karishma is a trending writer at SK POP. With a BA in Journalism, Psychology and Literature, Karishma, who has closely followed the latest internet trends from a young age, found her role at SK POP to be the perfect fit for her professional qualifications and personal interests.

She has nearly 3 years of experience in the industry and has interned with The Hindu and Deccan Herald. In her role at Sportskeeda, Karishma covers a range of topics at the pop division, but she believes her skills as a journalist are best reflected while creating impactful and research-intensive stories. For her, no other step in the writing process is as crucial as fact-checking with multiple sources and accurately conveying facts and data.

Karishma holds deep admiration for artists Luke Jerram and Yoshitomo Nara's authenticity and originality, who are her favorite icons. When not ideating her next story, Karishma can be seen deeply engrossed in a book.

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