In 2000, the Italian personal hygiene products manufacturer Ledysan obtained a license from Benetton to introduce the world's first designed diaper. "More than just a diaper....It's an Italian designer garment," said a Ledysan promo.
Benetton diapers were distributed to 27 countries in Europe and Asia; in the US, they were available at launch at Winn Dixie. According to an Ad Age report, "one buyer for a southeastern [grocery] chain" believed the package featuring a black baby kissing a white baby would not "play well" with some customers.
Although Benetton diapers reportedly had up to 20% market share in some countries, they did not gain wide acceptance in the US. I can't tell when they stopped selling here, but Ledysan was acquired in 2004 by PLC Group, a British toilet paper manufacturer which does not currently make diapers. A post to a Spanish parenting messageboard, however, makes it sound like Benetton swim diapers were still at Carrefour as recently as 2008, so who knows?
Who knows? Perhaps the diaper connoisseurs of the ABDL [adult baby/diaper lover] community know. That's where the vast majority of Google results for Benetton diapers originate. Why, there are some Benetton diapers right here on PampersBlog.com, next to the apparently *awesome* and extremely trendy Pampers Size 7.
And the steady supply on eBay of "vintage" Benetton diapers from such sellers as abdlaware does seem to skew to the Size 6, for kids with a waist size of up to 30 inches. [Though at the moment, there is a stack of 10 size 1 diapers, for babies up to 14 lbs, a reality which is pretty hard to fantasize your way around.]
Benetton goes from death row to diapers [ad age via aef.com]
There is no part of this post that is not horribly disturbing.
no, there is not.
I could see the idea of designer cloth diapers catching on (for babies!), but not the disposables.
I guess we will see what happens, but something tells me Emilio Zegna is not going to rolling out a line of pin-stripped pampers anytime soon.
My wife found your blog a few weeks, we are expecting our first in November and I have enjoyed your posts. Thanks.