BENETTON'S DEATH-ROW CAMPAIGN BACKFIRED

The advertising campaign by Benetton that featured 26 death-row prisoners in six states backfired on the Italian clothing manufacturer, at least in Missouri.

The company's "We on Death Row" campaign prompted Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon to bring a lawsuit against Benetton alleging misrepresentation by company representatives who got into the Potosi Correctional Center to interview four death-row inmates.

The company settled and agreed to write letters of apology to families of the people who were killed and to pay $50,000 to Missouri's Crime Victims Compensation Fund.

The company's attempt to promote itself by trying to generate sympathy for these prisoners was in extremely poor taste and in total disregard of the victims' families, who have had to endure the loss of loved ones at the hands of these killers.