1969-2009
The Benetton child is a young-looking forty-year-old
The Seventies
A CHILD-PROOF IDEA IS BORN
1969 - Giuliana Benetton creates the first sweaters for children in response to the many requests from customers already enthusiastic about the womenswear and menswear lines. The single-colored sweaters are made with Paderno yarn, a soft combed yarn that does not shrink or itch, and is strong and “child-proof”. A true revolution for the time. Giuliana’s children are the first to try them out, making a key contribution to the fine-tuning of the project.
1971 - The 012 brand is registered and, following the purchase of new machinery, the first jacquard and argyle patterned sweaters start to appear.
1972 - The Jean’s West range is introduced to coordinate the highly colored sweaters with jeans, trousers and shirts.
1976 - 012 numbers over one hundred stores.
The Eighties
THE BENETTON CHILD GROWS UP
1979 - The childrenswear collections become wider ranging with all product types added. During this decade the 012 brand achieves success and becomes widespread.
1980 - 012 provides the clothes for the children's choir Piccolo Coro Dell'Antoniano for the Zecchino d’oro programme: a collaboration which was to continue until 1992.
1983 - Benetton starts to work with Oliviero Toscani. The idea grows of a universal product, in all colors, for children of every race and from all over the world.
1985 - The new 012 store opens in Manhattan, on the corner of 85th Street and Madison Avenue, with a reception in grand style. Lots of children are invited, all holding a white teddy bear.
1989 - Zerotondo is created, a new line of clothing for babies from 6 to 24 months. The brand evolves, changing from 012 Benetton to United Colors of Benetton 012.
At the end of the Eighties Benetton produces 12,000,000 children’s garments a year and distributes them in 2,000 stores worldwide.
The Nineties
THE BENETTON CHILD TURNS ALL SHADES
1989 - The concept of color strengthens with the development of multicolored products. Vibrant jacquard sweaters, polo shirts with wide stripes, fleeces or cotton sweatshirts with floral prints and coats in patterned cloth are key players throughout the decade.
During these years children appear in Benetton ad campaigns with a humanitarian and social theme.
1992 - The first restyling of the childrenswear line is launched: new sizes are developed and the brand is repositioned in relation to the benchmarks.
1995 - The Zerotondo line is joined by the Layette segment with colorful products for babies; this is to become the basis for the new New Born line.
Competition becomes stronger during these years.
At the end of the Nineties the 012 brand boasts production of 30,000,000 items per year, distributed in 2,500 stores.
The Noughties
THE BENETTON CHILD MAKES HIS WAY IN THE WORLD
1999 - The Benetton childrenswear collections adapt to the new demands of an increasingly exacting market. There is a significant move by the world of children towards grown-up fashion, a trend influenced and accelerated by the media.
2001 - The product ranges are structured by age groups and the idea is developed of sales areas diversified according to the target. The brand structure develops and exhausts its life cycle in increasingly short lengths of time. The line is organised to be constantly in step with the rapid changes in tastes and trends.
2005 - The partnership with Mattel is launched and the successful idea of dressing Barbie in the same clothes as girls wins Benetton the prestigious 2005 Worldwide Licencing Award for the best world partnership.
2008 - The new Benetton Baby and Kid concepts are introduced with stores specialised according to the target: 0-5 years for the newborn and toddler collections, 6-12 years for the Kid collections.
2009 - The new Tween line is devised and designed for children aged from 8 to 12, the demanding pre-teens of the new century.
This decade sees exponential growth: the 30,000,000 items reached in the first 30 years double to more than 60,000,000 in just 10 years.
Rome, 19 October 2009