Italian clothing brand United Colors of Benetton withdrew one of its controversial ads that depicted Pope Benedict XVI locking lips with the imam of the Al-Azhar mosque Ahmed Mohamed el-Tayeb.

Benetton said its intention with the "Unhate" ad campaign was to eliminate the culture of hatred in all its forms.

But the image drew an immediate complaint from the Vatican "for the unacceptable use of his Holy Father's image, manipulated and exploited in an advertising campaign with a commercial purpose," Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi said in a statement, according to the Wall Street Journal.

"We are therefore sorry that the use of the image of the pope and the imam has so offended the sentiments of the faithful,” Benetton said in a statement on Wednesday. “In corroboration of our intentions, we have decided, with immediate effect, to withdraw this image from every publication."

The ad campaign is set to appear in print and online media worldwide.

The ad campaign has become controversial. U.S. President Barack Obama appears locking lips with China’s President Hu Jintao; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu kissing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas; and German Chancellor Angela Merkel kissing French President Nicolas Sarkozy, among others.

This is not the first time Benetton unveils controversial ad campaigns and marketing experts are familiar with the brand's use of "shocking" images to sell their products.

See the Ad Campaign Below:

A digitally altered image of German Chancellor Angela Merkel kissing French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Benetton's Unhate Ad Campaign.

A digitally altered image of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu kissing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

"Unhate" campaign from Benetton shows President Barack Obama with China's Hu Jintao.

An ad campaign from Benetton shows a digitally altered photo of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il kissing South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.