What Is North Six? Balenciaga Sues Company for 'Child Pornography Laws' Ad

Balenciaga is taking legal action against North Six, the production company behind the recent controversial ad campaign that featured court documents relating to child pornography laws.

The fashion brand has had two unrelated ad campaigns feature problematic content, and Balenciaga has since apologized for launching the ads. The ads caused a huge backlash that eventually prompted Kim Kardashian to speak out.

The ad that prompted the legal action was the Spring 23 campaign. Within the pictures that caused the controversy, there are documents hidden under a bag that relate to the 2008 U.S. Supreme Court ruling United States v. Williams. The case was a ruling that upheld the PROTECT Act, a 2003 federal law that criminalizes advertising, promoting, presenting or distributing child pornography.

Balenciaga has filed a lawsuit against North Six Inc., and its agent and set designer, Nicholas Des Jardins, with the New York State Supreme Court, seeking $25 million in "extensive damages" caused to its brand.

On Monday, a representative from North Six confirmed with CBS MoneyWatch that the company had managed the ad photoshoot that included the court document, but didn't comment further.

Later on Monday, Balenciaga posted a public apology that also placed blame on "third parties," i.e. North Six, for the creation of the ad.

"All the items included in this shooting were provided by third parties that confirmed in writing that these props were fake office documents," a statement posted to Balenciaga's Instagram read. "They turned out to be real legal papers most likely coming from the filming of a television drama.

"The inclusion of these unapproved documents was the result of reckless negligence for which Balenciaga has filed a complain. We take full accountability for our lack of oversight and control of the documents in the background and we cold have done things differently."

It also suggested that internal and external investigations were ongoing.

As well as the Spring 23 ad campaign, Balenciaga apologized for the Gift Collection campaign that featured children with plush bears dressed in "BDSM-inspired outfits."

The photographer involved with the shoot denied all culpability when speaking to Newsweek. Gabriele Galimberti said, "I am not in a position to comment [on] Balenciaga's choices, but I must stress that I was not entitled in whatsoever manner to neither chose the products, nor the models, nor the combination of the same."

Across its website and social media channels, North Six has yet to make a public statement on the Balenciaga campaign. Newsweek reached out to the production company for further comment.

What is North Six Inc.?

North Six Inc. is an international production company with offices in Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Milan, Madrid and Amsterdam.

On its website, it calls itself "a highly-acclaimed, global collective of producers, content creators, and thinkers with twenty years of experience."

It also says that it prides itself on "pushing the boundaries of how we work and of the work we make."

As well as providing its mission statement, it also says it's a sustainability conscious company and members of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

North Six has worked with a number of recognizable brands, producing stills and video content without incident. It recently ran campaigns with the coffee brand Lavazza, the brandy Hennessy, Buick and fashion outlets Gap and Jo Malone.

It also notably worked with celebrity ambassadors on their campaigns. North Six provided PR services for a collaboration between GapKids and Sarah Jessica Parker in 2018. The company regularly shares highlights of campaigns on social media, including a Dior ad starring Jennifer Lawrence.

This year, North Six also ran the campaign for Zara and Zara Kids.