Movie audiences today probably tend to think of product placement as a relatively recent phenomenon — perhaps dating back to the 1980s, at the earliest. This may be when the practice came to the fore in the public consciousness — with the conspicuous, impossible-to-ignore trail of Reese’s Pieces followed home by an alien named E.T. However, the truth is that advertising and publicity in the form of product placements goes back as far as the movie business itself. From the very earliest days of cinema, movie studios willingly featured products, or ads displaying them, in return for some much-needed financing. And while the masses may have remained ignorant about what was going before their eyes, it didn’t go unnoticed by everyone. For example, 1919′s The Garage, directed by and co-starring silent comedy actor Fatty Arbuckle, was strongly criticized in one trade publication for featuring Red Crown gasoline. Yet, as we shall see, the link between advertising and the moving image was established even before plots and narratives were in place as we would recognize them today. Here, then, are 10 insidious early examples of product placement you may not have known about.

10. Roman Holiday – Vespa (1953)

Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck have a wonderful time whizzing around The Eternal City in the delightfully picturesque film that is Roman Holiday. The charming feelgood movie kick-started Hepburn’s glittering Hollywood career as she won an Oscar for her performance in it. Her chosen mode of transport in this timeless romantic comedy? Italian scooter manufacturer Piaggio’s Vespa, of course! The two-wheeler reportedly garnered the company 100,000 sales, proving that product placement makes a lot of sense in the right context. It certainly seemed to work for Piaggio.

 9. The Greatest Show on Earth – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey (1952)

Filmed with “the Cooperation of Ringling Bros. – Barnum & Bailey Circus,” The Greatest Show on Earth can, on one level, be viewed as one giant commercial. Running for a whopping 152 minutes, Cecil B. DeMille’s epic features many cases of product placement — as many as 19, according to one scholar. In fact, the entire movie revolves around the product that is the famous circus troupe itself (1,400 of its members appeared in it). The movie tells the stories of various performers, notably The Great Sebastian and his girlfriend Holly, but there’s only one true star of this show: one of the greatest box office successes of all time.

8. Gun Crazy – Bulova Clocks (1950)

By 1950, businesses were well aware of the power of film to sell not only a product but the idea behind a product. In Joseph H. Lewis’s Gun Crazy — the film noir feature that tells the tale of a husband-and-wife pair of armed robbers — the strongly-featured product on display was the Bulova brand of clocks. Part of the movie’s climax, set in the Armour meat-packing plant, shows one of the clocks squarely in frame. The gun-toting lead characters in the film rarely miss a shot, and the audiences of the day would have had to have been blind to have missed this one!

7. Love Happy – Mobil (1949)

In Love Happy, those wacky, slapstick performers the Marx Brothers help out a group of young Broadway hopefuls with food donations. Much to everyone’s surprise, one of their gifts, a can of sardines, actually contains Romanoff diamonds. In the ensuing chaos, Harpo tries to evade villains by ambling all over the New York skyline amongst various billboards which host ads for General Electric, Kool cigarettes and Wheaties. At one point, a sign for Mobil gas stations appears directly in the shot, and indeed Harpo clambers all over it — making his escape on the company’s old flying red horse logo. Yet, while Harpo may have gotten away, the movie didn’t escape some heated film industry criticism for its shameless plugs.

6. It’s A Wonderful Life – National Geographic (1946)

Frank Capra’s Christmas classic about the angel-assisted redemption of Jimmy Stewart’s suicidal small-town businessman is rightly regarded as one of the greatest feelgood movies of all time. Yet it also includes a very deliberate product placement. The perpetrator in this instance was National Geographic. A copy of the magazine is seen squarely in shot in the hands of young George (Stewart’s character as a kid), who has dreams of becoming an explorer. As a passport to the realization of dreams and aspirations, the magazine did very well for itself with that scene!

5. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington – CBS and NBC (1939)

Once again starring Hollywood legend Jimmy Stewart and directed by filmmaker Frank Capra, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (somewhat ironically) tells the story of good prevailing over political corruption, with the naive eponymous character delving into the muck and mire of the U.S. Senate. Yet the production of the movie itself was not without intrigue, as noticeable endorsements are given to news media outlets NBC and CBS, both of whose cameras are featured. In total, only four product placements made the cut, but you’d have had to do more than blink to miss them.

4. Horse Feathers – Life Savers (1932)

In Horse Feathers, another Marx Brothers comedy (this one centered around a college football game), the minty confectionery Life Savers get a good dose of plugging. Yes, it’d almost be fair to say that the little mints have their own part in this movie! Not only is the candy unwrapped in front of the camera, but it’s actually used as the punchline of a joke. When Thelma Todd’s character falls out of her canoe to get herself all wet in a river, she calls out for a lifesaver. Right on cue, she gets what she asked for courtesy of Groucho, who throws her — you guessed it — a mint with a hole in it.

3. M – Wrigley’s PK Chewing Gum (1931)

Fritz Lang’s nightmarish vision of a child murderer stalking a German city sticks in the memory for many reasons, few of them pleasant. However, one everyday item you’d be forgiven for not associating with the powerful German film is chewing gum. Be that as it may, if you look not-particularly-closely at one scene featuring a staircase near the start of the movie, you’ll see a giant ad for Wrigley’s PK, proudly fluttering beneath a banister for all to see. The ad stays in the shot for about 30 seconds, and goes to show that the gum really is “long-lasting!”

2. Wings – Hershey’s Chocolate (1927)

Wings — a classic silent movie, and the first film to win the Oscar for Best Picture — featured a fairly conspicuous plug for Hershey’s chocolate. The story about World War I fighter pilots is fondly remembered by many for its romantic portrayal of war and loves lost and won. However, it is also now remembered as being one of the very first silent films — certainly among Hollywood movies — to contain an example of product placement. And what chocolate product wouldn’t want to be associated with such an epic tale of daring-do above the clouds?

1. Défilé du 8eme Bataillon – Sunlight Soap (1896)

And so back to the dawn of cinema, with this French film from godfathers of the moving image, the Lumière brothers. Meaning “Parade of the 8th Battalion,” the short is part of the fruits of the collaboration between the Lumières and François-Henri Lavanchy-Clarke, a Swiss businessman, who publicized and distributed the brothers’ films — in return for advertising space. In that amazing year of 1896, Lavanchy-Clarke had some products he wanted to promote on behalf of British soap manufacturers the Lever Brothers — whom he was working with. One such product was Sunlight Soap, the logo of which was to appear emblazoned on a wheelbarrow in the film. The world looked on, likely unaware that the birth of product placement was unfolding before their eyes.

The war on drugs is fiercely fought and made up of many smaller, but no less important, battles. Anti-drugs campaigners fight one such battle, driving home the message that hard drugs are dangerous and harmful to one’s health. Powerful tactics are employed in this effort, not least the way in which public service ad campaigns have become increasingly shocking. To grab the attention of those at risk, some truly gruesome and otherwise disturbing images have been shown. Advertising isn’t just about selling to consumers; it can also be about preventing sectors of society from becoming consumers – of dangerous narcotics. Here, then, are the 13 most disturbing anti-drugs ads out there.

13. Amy Winehouse, Young SVP Unterwallis

If ever there were a poster child for the harmful effects of drug abuse in our time, Amy Winehouse is surely it. This controversial Swiss ad, created by a branch of political party the Young SVP, was branded “tasteless” in August 2011 for its depiction of the deceased British pop singer, plainly intoxicated, with a slogan that translates as “No — to the decriminalization of drugs.” The president of the Young SVP Unterwallis responded: “It is not our methods which are shocking — it is reality.”

12. Heroin Screws You Up

This British ad from the 1980s was released by the Government in response to a rapid rise in heroin use. The approach of attempting to appeal to young people’s vanity by showing the physical effects of addiction is one that continues to this day. Despite the unsettling nature of the image, however, the boy in the campaign ironically became a teenage pin-up, giving rise to the fashion industry’s notion of “heroin chic.”

11. But On Meth It Is

These graphic images are from a series of anti-methamphetamine posters produced in recent years by the Montana Meth Project. Launched by software billionaire and philanthropist Thomas M. Siebel in 2005, the project’s goal was to shock potential meth users — particularly teenagers — into thinking twice before trying. Judging by these disturbing images, we think they did a first-rate job.

10. Game Overdose

This poster for parental concern website theantidrug.com links two strong, but very contrasting, youth concerns — video games and drugs. Highlighting the idea that kids “play” with drugs, the clever imagery is powerful and elicits a strong and immediate response.

9. Sometimes the After-Effects Never Wear Off

This powerful public information anti-drugs poster was created for Britain’s Department of Health in 1990. The ad is just as chillingly effective today as it was then. Its stark message and matter-of-fact tone remain strong weapons in anti-drug campaigning.

8. Don’t Let Drug Dealers Change The Face Of Your Neighbourhood

Another British ad — this one released by the police to encourage the public to give information about drug dealers — depicted shocking “before-and-after” mug shots of different substance abuses users, showing the rapid deterioration of real-life addicts due to the effects of hard drugs such as crack and heroin.

7. Before Meth…

More shocking ads here from the Montana Meth Project, this time from the initiative’s “Before Meth…” campaign. The project’s use of slogans and subtle but high impact images has gained a lot of media attention since their ads first appeared in 2005. The non-profit organization seeks to reduce methamphetamine use by highlighting its consequences — and not just on the users themselves.

6. Ecstasy — Lose More Than Your Inhibitions

This anti-ecstasy ad put out by Impact Publications in the USA certainly makes a powerful impact. The chilling poster serves as a reminder than ecstasy can be just as deadly as other hard drugs. This shocking image is from a poster series that deals with “the tough realities surrounding substance abuse.”

5. Still Think Drugs Don’t Hurt Anyone But Yourself?

This poster becomes more disturbing the more you read. Featuring a young family in the aftermath of the mother’s arrest by drug enforcement agents, the despair (and anger?) on the young faces, captured by Child Protective Services, speaks volumes. As the ad explains, following the arrest, the children were taken into care and put into separate foster homes.

4. Multnomah Sheriff’s County Office

The before-and-after effect of drug abuse is used to shocking effect in these pictures from a hard-hitting campaign instigated by Deputy Bret King of the Multnomah Sheriff’s County Office in Oregon. The photos — released in 2011 — were part of a documentary film called From Drugs to Mugs, itself a follow-up to the controversial and widely publicized 2004 release, Faces of Meth.

3. We Get Scared…

This ad powerfully brings home the effect that drug taking parents can have on their children, casting the issue from the perspective of the kids. Once again it’s stressing the message that it is not only the users who are affected by drugs, but their families and communities as well.

2. No One Thinks They’ll Lose…

Next, the Montana Meth Project with another grim image evocative of wasted lives and despair. Since its inception the Project has done terrific work in raising awareness of methamphetamine abuse, not only in Montana but in seven other states. It has used different forms of media, including print, radio, TV and poster ads — including work from high-profile movie directors such as Tony Kaye, Darren Aronofsky and Alejandro González Iñárritu.

1. Off Road Studios – An Obvious Outcome/Life Imprisonment

These posters from Pakistan-based design agency Off Road Studios pull no punches. Sharp, effective and to the point, they get the message through loud and clear. As powerful as any anti-drugs ads we’ve seen, they keep the text to a minimum, allowing the images to speak for themselves.

Bonus: Choose Your Side

This powerful poster simply and effectively displays a stark choice: heroin addiction or health? Created by a volunteer for a Lithuanian charity organization, the image effectively shows how everyone can become involved in fighting the battle against hard drugs — by simply refusing them. Posters displayed at a grass-roots level are just as important as multimillion dollar campaigns.

The road to becoming a successful director is a long, complicated and arduous one. As any film student will know, it takes talent, perseverance, dedication and a lot of hard work to make it into the director’s chair (a little bit of luck helps, too). As with any creative process, film directing is about learning, and the best directors continually experiment with their style throughout their careers. Many great directors have honed their skills in their early years working on commercials and music videos. These shorter, more immediate video forms have time and again been an industry proving ground for directors with extraordinary talent and vision. As a way of testing one’s abilities and making a name at the same time, directing commercials and music videos is often the logical choice. Some famous directors are brought back into the shorter mediums even after establishing themselves, either simply for publicity or as a way of flexing their creative muscles in a more controlled environment. In any case, the world of advertising constantly throws up work of astounding quality and has long been associated with directors of the highest caliber. Here, then, are ten incredible commercials created by great music video directors.

10. Tarsem Singh — Pepsi, “We Will Rock You”

Tarsem Singh first came to real prominence in 1991, winning MTV’s Video of the Year for the video he created for REM’s “Losing My Religion.” He has also brought his vision to 90s videos for the likes of En Vogue, Suzanne Vega and Deep Forest.

A considerable amount of advertising work followed, including this epically “rocking” Pepsi ad from 2005, featuring gladiatorial performances from Beyonce, Pink, Britney Spears and an imperial Enrique Iglesias. Tarsem has made two feature length movies, 2000’s The Cell, starring Jenifer Lopez, and The Fall from 2006. Both have garnered a cult following for their individual and unique look — though it’s the Indian director’s music videos that have perhaps made more of an impression on audiences.

9. David Lynch — Playstation 2, “The Third Place”

David Lynch is best known for his darkly surreal cinematic journeys through small-town America. Exploring themes of alienation and lost innocence, exemplified by films such as Eraserhead, Blue Velvet and the TV series Twin Peaks, Lynch’s work is often mysterious and rooted in a kind of dream logic which frequently divides audiences.

This commercial from 2000 for Sony’s games console, PlayStation 2, is a playful distillation of Lynchian tropes and motifs. As well as many other commercials for the likes of Giorgio Armani, Adidas and Nissan, Lynch has also carved a hugely successful career in music video, creating groundbreaking work for Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” (starring Helena Christensen) and Massive Attack’s “Unfinished Symphony.” He also worked with the late, great Michael Jackson on his “Dangerous” short films collection.

8. Michael Bay — Victoria’s Secret

Michael Bay’s high-octane, big-budget Hollywood film career — think Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, and Transformers — was largely facilitated by his lavishly designed music videos from the late 1980s and early to mid 90s. He has worked with some of the most popular acts of the time, creating mini-epics for Tina Turner, Lionel Ritchie and Aerosmith.

Probably his best known work was for heavyweight Rock icon Meatloaf, whose “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)” featured a typically extravagant Bay-produced video. This 2010 ad for lingerie company Victoria’s Secret contains many trademark Bayisms: loud rock music, sharp edits, scantily clad women and, yes, thunderous explosions!

7. Sofia Coppola — Miss Dior

Since the breakthrough success of Lost in Translation Sofia Coppola has enjoyed a thriving career — including being nominated for an Academy Award for that movie in 2003. Coppola has been involved with film and music her whole life — hardly surprising given her family background: she is the daughter of Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola. Appearing as Mary Corleone in her father’s Godfather Part III, led to acting roles in Madonna’s “Deeper and Deeper” video and Sonic Youth’s “Mildred Pierce.”

As a director she has worked with The Flaming Lips, Air and, most famously, The White Stripes on their video for “I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself.” This 2008 commercial for Miss Dior highlights Coppola’s playful approach to the art of filmmaking and her subtle, art-house influenced use of color and controlled editing techniques.

6. Mark Romanek — Nike Air Jordan, “Tell Me”

This intensely powerful commercial for Nike from award-winning director Mark Romanek contains many of the elements that have made him such a sought-after imaginative presence in the creative world. Romanek is a hugely prolific music video director and has been in demand since the 1980s. He has worked with a veritable Who’s Who list of massive names, from David Bowie and Madonna to Jay-Z and Coldplay.

Perhaps his most respected work is the poignant 2002 video for Johnny Cash’s cover of the Nine Inch Nails track “Hurt,” which remains loved by fans and industry experts alike. Romanek has also forged a feature movie career directing Robin Williams in the creepy thriller One Hour Photo and Keira Knightley in last year’s Never Let Me Go.

5. Spike Jonze — Gap, “Pardon Our Dust”

Spike Jonze’s anarchic spirit and energetic love of filmmaking comes through loud and clear in this remarkable commercial for The Gap. Created in 2005, it only actually aired in a select few cities around the US before it was pulled. Jonze — Adam Spiegel to his folks — has a background in skateboard and music videos and has produced wildly imaginative work for the likes of the Beastie Boys, Daft Punk, Björk and Fatboy Slim.

Critically acclaimed feature films including Being John Malkovich, Adaptation and Where the Wild Things Are have only raised the stock of this inimitable filmmaker even higher.

4. Kathryn Bigelow — Revlon, “Just Bitten”

Kathryn Bigelow’s Oscar triumph in 2010 for The Hurt Locker — she famously became the first woman to pick up the Best Director award — was a fitting tribute to a sharp and skilful operator who has been at the top of her game for a long time.

As well as appearing in her then-husband James Cameron’s wonderfully cheesy music video for Martini Ranch in the late 1980s, she also directed her own music video, for New Order’s “Touched By The Hand Of God.” Commercial work followed, including spots for Baileys, Hummer and Budweiser. This ad for Revlon, starring the gorgeous Jessica Biel, shows off Bigelow’s perfect sense of light and shade as well as her penchant for artistic editing.

3. David Fincher — Levi’s, “The Chase”

David Fincher has pedigree as a music video director of the highest possible caliber. Era-defining work with Madonna on the video for “Express Yourself” (and more) brought other big-name artists such as George Michael, Michael Jackson and the Rolling Stones to the director’s door.

Preceding his music video work, Fincher learned his trade on commercials for (amongst others) Converse, Pepsi, Nike and Levi’s. This gloriously inventive ad is an example. Recalling themes that would crop up later in his feature movie work — particularly the brooding tension of The Game and Seven — this ad showcases a brilliant director with a mastery of timing and drama.

2. Michel Gondry — Smirnoff Vodka, “Smarienberg”

Michel Gondry is an Academy Award-winning movie director (he was honored for his work on the screenplay for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) known for his ingenious set designs and original approach to story-telling. His career really took off when working with Björk on the video for her song “Human Behaviour.” In total he has directed seven of the Icelandic singer’s videos.

In a wonderfully prolific career, Gondry has worked on well over fifty music videos for stars such as Kanye West, Kylie Minogue, Beck and Radiohead. And with this stunning commercial for Smirnoff vodka he virtually invented the “bullet time” technique which the Wachowski brothers used to such great effect in The Matrix trilogy.

1. Martin Scorsese — Chanel, “Bleu de Chanel”

Martin Scorsese is a true Hollywood legend. In a long and distinguished career, he has won almost every film award there is to be had, and in films such as Raging Bull, Taxi Driver and Goodfellas has set new benchmarks for shockingly realistic depictions of people on the edge of society. As well as having had a career in feature movies that has redefined American cinema, Scorsese has also worked with recording artists such Robbie Robertson, Eric Clapton and, most famously of all, Michael Jackson.

The 1987 video for “Bad” was strongly influenced by the classic musical West Side Story and is one of the most instantly recognizable music videos of the 1980s. This effortlessly classy advert for Chanel may not make a great deal of sense, but like almost everything Scorsese has a hand in, it is cool, great to look at and has a tough, streetwise edge.

If there is one truth in advertising it must surely be this: sex sells. And a lot of sex sells a lot of things. As the late, great comedian Bill Hicks dryly noted, sex can be (and often is) used to advertise absolutely anything at all. Sometimes, however, those zany advertising types go a little too far for some peoples’ tastes, and wind up getting their creations banned. Here, then, are our top ten television commercials that were banned for their sexual content. Enjoy!

10. Microsoft XP

Let’s face it: computer operating systems aren’t the sexiest things in the world, but that didn’t stop Microsoft trying to change said perception with this commercial — and being slapped with a ban for their troubles. With the slogan “The Unexpected Experience,” the ad shows a guy having a spot of trouble with his partner’s bra, when technology takes over… If only it were as simple as knowing the password in real life…

9. Renault

Banned from daytime TV in the United Kingdom, this commercial, featuring soccer superstar Thierry Henry and burlesque performer Dita Von Teese, was a recent addition to Renault’s “Va Va Voom” campaign. There’s also a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance from R ‘n’ B singer Rihanna. The ad, which features the corseted Von Teese seductively removing her bra and stockings, was deemed too raunchy for daytime audiences. Their loss, we reckon.

8. Ikea

Ikea’s “Tidy Up” campaign caused quite a stir across Europe, and this ad was the most controversial of the lot. Focusing on the embarrassment of not having a tidy home, the commercial depicts a child’s alarming discovery. Original and funny, the ad is actually quite innocent, but anything involving minors and anything to do with sexual activity probably rang a few alarm bells with the censors. Subsequently it was banned in the UK.

7. Centrum

Banned in the US in 2007 because of partial nudity and general sexiness, this commercial for Centrum is based on the idea that their products will keep you looking and feeling young. Featuring two very different sets of actors playing strip poker players, this naughty ad may have you reaching for the vitamins! As a bra is about to be removed, it’s revealed that all is not as it seems!

6. Vegetarian Society

Hey, vegetables can be sexy too! This commercial was banned in the UK for the sexually suggestive content it contains, though you could argue it was the censors who had something other than dinner on their minds… This rude food takes the whole idea of sexy cooking to the extreme. Warning: you may have to simmer down after watching this.

5. Bud Light

Ever get the feeling you’re being watched? The couple in this cad don’t appear to suspect a thing! This ad for Budweiser Light gave a new meaning to the term “beer goggles” when it was shown during the Superbowl of 2007 and was swiftly banned in the US. The skinny dipping, partial nudity and sexually suggestive content were obviously just too much for some folks. Geez, talk about party poopers!

4. NewYorker Underwear

Taking the “sex sells” theory to the extreme, this notorious commercial shows a gold-digging hottie who is literally (though barely!) dressed to kill! Banned from American TV screens, the ad is about as hot as it gets. It depicts a recently married elderly gentleman’s death by heart attack as a result of watching his new wife seductive performance through a keyhole. And before anyone writes in, we’ve been assured that no elderly voyeuristic men were harmed in the making of the commercial.

3. Agent Provocateur

This commercial was banned from British televisions for the simple reason that Australian pop star Kylie Minogue is just too damn sexy! The raunchy 2001 ad features the delightful Ms Minogue riding on a mechanical bull in translucent Agent Provocateur lingerie. As well as being seriously hot, the ad does have some artistic credentials as well: it was voted the best cinema advert of all time in a poll launched by advertising sales house Digital Cinema Media (DCM) in 2009.

2. Durex

By the very nature of the products they advertize, condom commercials regularly come under the scrutiny of the censors. This ad for Durex from their “Feeling is Everything” campaign was no exception. Featuring British actor Dominic Cooper, the funny commercial was deemed unsuitable for UK audiences when it was made a few years back. Still, we think you’ll agree the message, although a touch unsubtle, is an important one.

1. Obsession

This arty ad for Calvin Klein’s fragrance “Secret Obsession” features another sexy celebrity, and was banned by US networks in 2008. The censors’ main problem was with sultry actress Eva Mendes’ exposed nipple. The makers re-cut the commercial, making it suitable for post 9pm audiences, and, in a great PR move, kept the original available for all online! Some might argue we can all be grateful for that!

With marketing & advertising becoming more and more of a need to succeed, this infographic by our friends at MarketingDegree.net provides an industry-by-industry look at where the leading U.S Brands are spending their dollars.

Image courtesy of Ad Age

Occasionally advertising executives fail to hit the mark; a joke that passed at the focus group stage ends up flatlining when it hits the TV screen or billboard space. However, sometimes we’re cursed, or perhaps even blessed, with beholding the moments when adverts truly backfire, spinning off ungraciously into the land of ironic failure. Here is a collation of the top ten most cringe-worthy, backfiring ads.

10. Groupon Superbowl Ad

The deal-of-the-day discount company Groupon fumbled the ball with this ad aired during Super Bowl XLV and starring Timothy Hutton. Conceived as a parody of the struggles of the Tibetan people, comparing them to the promotion of a Chicago Himalayan restaurant, Groupon ended up making a rather crass statement about conveniences enjoyed in the West while others experience oppression.

As one Twitter user aptly commented: “Groupon seems to have achieved the unique feat of paying $3m to lose customers who previously loved them.”

9. Nike Write The Future

Nike’s 2010 FIFA World Cup advert was a sight to behold. Breathtaking soccer from global superstars was combined with intelligent filmmaking. However, the irony of its ‘write the future’ tagline came to the fore when the major stars featured in the ad and their national teams all failed to break out as anything more than mediocre performances — or, as in the case of Brazilian Ronaldinho, didn’t even make the cut.

Perhaps even more strangely, two of the teams shown in attitudes of defeat, Spain and the Netherlands, actually went on to make it to the final. Who saw that coming? Not the ad execs, it seems.

8. Whopper Virgins

In December 2008, Burger King bought the rights to an advertising campaign which was built around the concept of getting people in remote regions of the world to do a taste test between Burger King’s ‘Whopper’ and the McDonald’s ‘Big Mac’, having never eaten a hamburger.

Despite, perhaps predictably, winning the mantle of ‘best burger,’ Burger King was to come under fire for the transparently exploitative and patronizing connotations of the advert.

7. McDonald’s: I’d Hit It

Add teenagers’ slang and older people wanting to sell to teenagers and what do you get? A huge backfire. Ad designers at McDonald’s clearly did not know what “I’d hit it” meant in the vernacular of the younger generation, or else they probably would have refrained from juxtaposing a crudely chauvinistic approval of a woman’s sexual appeal — but nothing else — with their cheeseburgers. In its full glory the ad’s tagline reads, “Double Cheeseburger? I’d hit it. I’m a Dollar Menu guy.” Classy stuff, guys.

6. Spirit Airlines

Famed for its extra charges, US airline Spirit Airline’s June 2010 campaign promised consumers glorious beaches, but ended up landing the company in hot water instead. In the wake of the devastating BP oil spill, which not only killed huge amounts of wildlife but also savaged local economies, Spirit promoted flights to beaches in destinations such as Cancun and Puerto Rico that were untouched by the crisis, with the tagline: “Check out the oil on our beaches.” This was juxtaposed with an image of a sun tan oil-drenched girl in a bikini. Even those hardened to the odd risqué joke found this one a bit much.

5. Cadbury’s Kashmir

There are some things that make you want the ground to swallow you up. A colonialist past combined with politically insensitive humor meets this mark. In 2002, the historically British Cadbury brand ran a newspaper advert for its ‘Temptations’ chocolate which compared the product to the disputed territory of Kashmir — where in the decade prior to the ad almost 50,000 people had died — insofar as it was claimed both were: “Too good to share.” Printed to be read on August 15th, Indian Independence Day, this confectionery left nothing but a bitter taste.

4. KFC Australia

KFC’s American directors were quick to pull a KFC ad in Australia as soon as it had crossed the Pacific via YouTube and the internet. The ad featured a white Aussie bloke using KFC’s fried chicken to pacify a crowd of over-excited black fans of the opposing West Indies team during a cricket match (with a much anticipated ‘test match’ between the two sides on the horizon when it aired).

It had been on the air for 3 weeks without a whisper of dissent Down Under, but US customers were shocked by the similarity of the ad’s message to harmful and deeply offensive stereotypes of African Americans.

3. Pregnant Nun Ice Cream

Ad watchdogs were able to intercede on the eve of the Pope’s visit to Britain in 2010 to prevent the release of an advert for Antonio Federici ice cream. The print ad in question featured a heavily pregnant nun about to gorge on ice cream whilst in church. Amid worries over a perceived decline in moral values in the UK, the permissibility of the advert wasn’t helped by its tagline: “Immaculately conceived — ice cream is our religion.” One that misfired before it could backfire but doubtless something of an embarrassment for the ice cream makers nonetheless.

2. Vodafone Egypt

Here comes Vodafone’s cringe-inducing ad campaign in the aftermath of Egypt’s January 25th revolution of 2011. In the dramatic and somber ad, a man, symbolizing the voice of Egypt and the voice of Vodafone, speaks of the things “we” can achieve — implying that Vodafone had a prominent role in the revolution.

The telecommunications company faced a backlash over the ad, as the reality was that they in fact cut their services whilst the uprising was going on, allegedly under government orders. Ah yes, the things that “we” can do together.

1. Sony PSP Black vs White

In anticipation of the launch of Sony’s ceramic-white PSP, the company embarked upon a bizarre ad campaign featuring over 100 unique images and adverts with the motif of black vs white. To the surprise of, well, nobody, many people found these ads, which featured racial representations of ‘black’ and ‘white’ characters violently attacking one another, rather offensive, to say the least. Sony denied that there was any racial message intended, and that the aesthetics were simply chosen as a representation of the ‘blackness’ and ‘whiteness’ of the respective consoles. Ahem.

For 45 years, big name brands have budgeted big bucks to run their ads during the Super Bowl. This costly campaign allows a brand to advertise their product to an extremely large audience during a time when consumers are just as interested in the commercials as the game they are tuning into experience. Because of this, Super Bowl ads often bring great success to the companies paying for them, but do these ads provide the best value for their money, or is there a more affordable solution with the same opportunity for success?

[via: Social Media Agency Viral Media Solutions]

Ads are often meant to provoke the viewer (think baby-faced Brooke Shields with nothing between her and her Calvins) but sometimes viewers feel a little too provoked. Here is a list of fifteen controversial advertisements that were pulled due to negative reactions.

ICBC Anti-Drunk Driving Campaign

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Back in May of 2010, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, Canada, Police Services and the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles launched an ad campaign comprised of three ads that compared getting caught driving under the influence to getting caught doing something else embarrassing. Like, for example, police catching you measuring your manhood. The campaign, which was aimed at men ages 19 to 25, sported a tagline that read, “Some things you don’t want to be caught doing.”

Sure, someone catching you measuring yourself is awkward, but a DUI? “Awkward” is an understatement, and was considered by some to be such a trivialization that the committee, at the behest of former solicitor-general Kash Heed, decided to pull the ad after only a few days because of the controversy that arose. Surveys had found that men in that age group feared getting caught drinking and driving more than they feared getting killed in an accident. “The strategy,” Nicolas Jimenez of ICBC told the Vancouver Sun, “was to build a campaign around situations you wouldn’t want to get caught in, then hit them with the message: Don’t get caught drinking and driving.” Seems logical but many of the law enforcement officials in British Columbia were “uncomfortable” with the themes. The government has promised that future public service advertisements against drunk driving will be more… palatable.

Rachel Ray for Dunkin’ Donuts

In 2008, Rachel Ray, queen of the quick and easy meal, fairly inoffensive person all things considered, shot what seemed like a pretty simple commercial for Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. But Dunkin’ Donuts yanked the ad suddenly after an outcry from some, namely conservative Fox News commentator Michelle Malkin, over what appears to be a paisley scarf Ray wears as she chats about coffee.

The scarf is actually what is known as a keffiyeh, which is traditionally worn as a headdress by Middle Eastern men and was widely worn by Palestinian nationalists during the Arab revolt of the 1930s. Many viewers, including Malkin, saw this as an egregious statement of support for jihadists. Dunkin Donuts issued a response stating, “In the ad that you reference, Rachael is wearing a black-and-white silk scarf with a paisley design that was purchased at a U.S. retail store. It was selected by the stylist for the advertising shoot. Absolutely no symbolism was intended. However, given the possibility of misperception, we will no longer use the commercial.” Melkin was pleased, but then promptly turned her to attention to the hoards of celebrity keffiyeh-wearers and the pseudo-hipster clothing purveyor Urban Outfitters.

Verizon Ad

Maybe 2008 was a bad year for advertising ideas. Just a few months after Ray’s controversial coffee outfit, Verizon found itself in some hot water over an advertisement for an LG Dare phone. The ad showed a man leaping over a fence to get his hands on a Dare –- only to be greeted by two chained, snarling pit bulls. Dog lovers were enraged by the depiction of the harsh treatment of the animals and reacted.

Paging People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals! The infamous animal rights group tried to get Verizon to pull the ad by outlining the reasons why it was offensive, but Verizon stayed firm. Finally, PETA released an action alert. When the company was inundated with 7,000 emails from incensed PETA supporters, they finally canceled the campaign.

Motrin

The pain reliever Motrin launched a slightly snarky ad campaign targeting moms who “wear” their babies (you know, in like, papooses, Baby Bjorns, or baby Snuggie things) during International Babywearing Week (yes, such a thing exists). The ad gave a nod toward the benefits of wearing your baby, including that it gives you maternal street cred, but it also pointed out that the act was tough on mommy’s muscles. Apparently this didn’t sit well with the baby-wearing moms (and some dads) of the world, many of whom took to twitter, their blogs and YouTube to inform the world they would never, ever use Motrin again.

After the parental blogosphere erupted, the drug manufacturer McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a division of Johnson and Johnson, pulled the ad and released a statement. “With regard to the recent Motrin advertisement, we have heard you . . . please accept our sincere apology,” said the company’s vice president of marketing Kathy Widmer. The moral of this story? Don’t piss off moms with computers.

Captivity Film

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Don’t sweat it if you don’t remember the release of the 2007 film Captivity or even, dare I say it, the actress Elisha Cuthbert. The Saw rip-off barely made a splash in the film world but the original posters for the film, which depicted Cuthbert being abducted, confined, and tortured, were deemed by many to be unnecessarily gratuitous and condoning of violence towards women. Thirty billboards were erected in the Los Angeles area as well as 1,400 ads on top of New York taxicabs. The studios producing the project, Lionsgate and After Dark Films, claimed that the ad campaign was launched by accident.

“To be honest with you, I don’t know where the confusion happened and who’s responsible,” Courtney Solomon of After Dark Films stated. All the advertisements were removed within a week and replaced with a tamer version of Ms. Cuthbert submerged in sand. Smells like an ill-conceived shock-marketing campaign… that clearly didn’t pan out.

Burger King’s “Texican”-Style Whopper

Back in 2009, ad execs for Burger King had to develop a campaign to promote the fast food conglomerate’s new Texican-style burger — a spicy version of the beloved Whopper. So naturally, these creatives came up with idea of having a tall, gangly Texan cowboy move in with a Mexican dwarf wrestler, and thus was born the commercial that many Mexican nationalists called “a whopper of an insult.”

Even bigwigs weighed in on the controversy, what with Mexico’s ambassador to Spain writing a letter of objection to the company and stating publicly that the ad “improperly used the stereotyped image of Mexicans.” People were also outraged that the teeny Mexican’s cape resembled the flag of their nation, which they consider a symbol of national pride and something to be treated with the utmost respect. This wasn’t the first time the nation felt belittled by a fast food chain’s ad campaign: Mexicans were also angered by the use of that funny little Chihuahua who acted as Taco Bell’s spokes dog in the 1990s.

KFC’S Health Ads

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Chicken mavens Kentucky Fried Chicken released a series of ads in 2003 touting the health benefits of items on their menu. The ads, sporting the befuddling tagline, “You’ve got what KFC’s Cooking!”, pitted the nutrition of one of their lowest calorie options, “Original Recipe” fried chicken breasts, against the stats of a Burger King Whopper. Some knowledgeable people, including the head of the Center for Public Science, found these claims “deceptive,” and stated that even though the fat and carbohydrate content cited by KFC was approximately correct, they neglected to mention the high sodium content of the food. A review columnist for Ad Age called the campaign “desperate and sleazy.”

The company held fast at first, claiming that they were just trying to “educate” the public as to how you could include fried chicken in your healthy diet (?!) but eventually relented to growing pressure and ordered their national and local franchises to pull the ad, citing reasons of “brand protection.”

KFC Australia

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Poor KFC just can’t catch a break — or maybe just write an inoffensive advertisement. Kentucky Fried Chicken released an ad in Australia that featured a white man surrounded by a black crowd at a cricket match. “Need a tip when you’re stuck in an awkward situation?” says the befuddled white guy before having a fried chicken-related epiphany and sharing his bucket with his fellow cricket fans. The message struck many viewers as racist and the ad was yanked shortly thereafter.

KFC, though, owned by Yum! Brands, which was named one of the “40 Best Companies for Diversity” in Black Enterprise Magazine for the fifth year in a row in 2009, was ever so slightly defensive about their “Cricket Survival” campaign. The company claimed that the tone of the ad was “tongue-in-cheek” and that most of the protest was heard in the United States, where the ad was never supposed to run.

Even the New York Daily News , obviously based in the States, took a poll in which 65% of respondents said they thought the ad was “just lighthearted and fun.” Some people are just so sensitive.

Miami Anti-Islam Bus Ads

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Pre-Ground-Zero-Mosque controversy, Robert Spencer of the Stop Islamization of America Group purchased ads on the sides of public buses in the county of Miami-Dade in Florida. “Is your family or community threatening you?” the ad read before offering a link to Refuge From Islam, a website listing resources for people considering leaving Islam. Spencer publicly stated, “We wanted to show that some people will stand up against violent intimidation, some people will stand up for religious freedom in America.” Funny considering many of the “resources” listed at Refuge from Islam are Christian.

Just two days after the ads went up, however, The Miami Herald reported that Miami-Dade Transit decided to pull them because they were potentially offensive to Muslims. Spencer and SIOA fired back, citing the allowance of an ad for GainPeace.com, a service that provides information about Islam, and also this tiny little thing called the Constitution. They were set to go to court when Miami-Dade backed down. Similar campaigns have been launched in other U.S. cities –- to similar outcry.

Sony PSP White

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Fresh from another controversial campaign featuring religious imagery, Sony PSP decided to invoke provocative imagery of another kind. Billboards in the Netherlands announced the coming of their latest model, the PSP White, with the “racially charged” image of a model with the complexion of snow grasping the jaw of a young black woman. People reacted immediately and internationally: California Assemblyman Leland Yee and NAACP members in the videogame capital of San Jose/Silicon Valley called for an immediate discontinuation of the campaign.

At first Sony came to the ads defense claiming no racial subtext, but eventually pulled the ads and released this apology-esque statement: “We recognize that the subject matter of one specific image may have caused concern in some countries not directly affected by the advertising. As a result, we have now withdrawn the campaign.”

Absolut’s Mexico Ads

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Perhaps as retaliation for the Burger King Ads, Absolut Vodka released a campaign in 2008 that showed a revamped map of the United States. The map was of the territory before the Mexican-American war of 1848 when California was known as “Alta California” and was part of Mexico. Absolut, a Swedish company, said that the ad was relevant to Mexicans, some of whom still resent the loss of California, and would tap into their national pride. The line beneath the map read, “In an Absolut World,” implying that more Mexico and less America would make a happier world.
This is all well and good, but Absolut should never have underestimated the power of the American consumer. People North of the border were enraged, and Absolut felt their heat. Absolut apologized profusely and said that even though the ad was only shown in Mexico, they understood that it was insensitive to its neighbor. They also pulled the ad.

Committee for Open Debate on the Holocaust

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You’d think Harvard students would be smart enough to avoid denying the Holocaust, but apparently not. Not only do they deny it, but every so often, they advertise their denial! The undergraduate paper Harvard Crimson ran an advertisement for Bradley Smith on behalf of the Committee for Open Debate on the Holocaust that asked students to provide “with proof, the name of one person who was killed in the gas chamber at Auschwitz.” The ad was up for a measly one day before the paper pulled it and offered their apologies, claiming a lapse in communication due to school vacation was the reason for the error.

Anti-Obesity Ad

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In the liberal enclave of the Bay Area of Northern California, an advertising company called Kaiser Permanente launched a campaign to target childhood obesity. They decided their campaign would hinge on the word “beat” — as in “beat obesity.” To that end, they designed a billboard emblazoned with the slogan “Beat Obesity with a Stick” against a background of celery sticks.

Size-acceptance groups (and not, surprisingly, domestic violence or child abuse victims) were enraged by the ad, saying that they had often been the target of bullying, physical and verbal, as a result of their size. The ad, they said, was therefore offensive and ought to be pulled. (Trying so hard not to make a joke about “throwing one’s weight” into a movement right now). They won in the end, with Kaiser assuring the PR director of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance that the ads would be discontinued.

Visit Denmark

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In an effort to attract more tourists, the tiny Baltic nation of Denmark decided to launch a viral marketing campaign to highlight their national treasures – this means, of course, their tall, easy Nordic women. The ad shows a blond woman holding a baby and telling the camera that the father of the baby was a tourist whose name she couldn’t recall. Many people (mostly men) were tickled by the advertisement, but many were not. Danish Sociologist Karen Sjoerup said the ad implied, “you could lure fast, blond Danish women home without a condom.” The video was pulled –– but not after it received over 800,000 hits on YouTube.

Daisy

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And last but certainly not least, perhaps the most famous pulled advertisement of all time: the one in which the cute little girl playing with a flower gets BLOWN UP! The advertisement shows a little girl plucking petals off a flower and counting as she does, but soon her voice is drowned out by a louder, more robotic, masculine one counting down from ten. The camera zooms in on her face before an atomic bomb explodes, and presumably, adorable little girl and flower are decimated.

The ad, which was for the presidential campaign of Lyndon Johnson, ran only once, on September 7th of 1964 during an NBC Monday Night movie. Despite its lack of air time, it made an enormous social impact. It contributed to the landslide victory of Johnson over Barry Goldwater and remains an iconic American image today.

Advertisements are a pervasive part of life, visible everywhere. Yet commercial breaks, paid reviews, product placement in movies and television, and sponsorship in magazines can all be avoided by simply switching off. The only inescapable advertisements, for anyone who isn’t a hermit, are the billboards and posters that fill your vision wherever you walk or drive in the Western world. With this in mind, a small band of vigilantes have been tackling the phenomenon with subvertising, which, according to Wikipedia, is “the practice of making spoofs or parodies of corporate and political advertisements in order to make a statement.” Here are ten of the greatest examples of this guerrilla form applied to advertising posters.

10. Razorboy: Gentrification

A New York subway advertisement for the popular television show, Californication, is here transformed into social commentary. With the addition of dollar bills, the divide of wealth is subtly hinted at. The real issue here is not a fun escapist fantasy of fast living and false drama in California; instead it is a social divide in New York City, the challenges and problems of gentrification – where wealthy young people move into poor, culturally-rich areas and drain the area of everything that made it unique, while pricing locals out of the market. It’s the work or Razorboy, more of whom later…

9. BLF: McDonalds

The Billboard Liberation Front acts as a satirical advertising agency. Its “partners” come looking for a more innovative, realistic approach to advertising. However, it is highly unlikely that McDonalds would see the positive side of this altered campaign, which the BLF says “[embraces] the traditional American values of conformity, convenience, and mediocrity.”

It isn’t simply the large type, “kill them all,” that puts forward a subversive message. On a second look, the viewer notices that the “I’m lovin’ it” motto of McDonalds, as popularized by Justin Timberlake, has been replaced with “I’m sick of it.”

8. Photoshop on the U-Bahn Line

Three beautiful young starlets staring out at morning commuters with bedroom eyes and pouting lips. Everything about them is perfect; not even a single flaw is visible, such is the high quality of these large-scale images.

Unaltered, the billboard is a siren call to consume and thereby aspire to such perfection. Yet the simple alteration – pasting on the familiar toolbars and option trees of Adobe Photoshop, the premier image manipulation tool – gives it an altogether different message. This perfection is not real and you are being sold a lie, it says.

7. Fox News: We Deceive, You Believe

Fox News is a controversial media outlet. Depending on who you talk to, they are indeed as fair and balanced as their current motto would have you believe – or they are a hate-mongering lie machine that will stop at nothing to make a buck while attacking Democratic political aspirations. Given the 2003 court case, where Fox News successfully defended themselves on the grounds that they were not obligated to tell the truth, the distortion of their old tagline, “We report, You decide,” to read, “We Deceive You Believe,” not only has a poetic quality but is a pointed reminder of the fact that they have an agenda of their own.

6. Banksy: Light Group Nightclub

When Banksy tagged this advertisement for The Light Group’s nightclubs, he inadvertently gave them a whole lot more publicity than they had paid for – so much so that when the billboard management company tore it down, The Light Group complained. Banksy used the image of a half-naked woman dancing as a background for a lascivious Mickey Mouse and a drug-impaired Minnie Mouse. This could be a criticism of Disney itself, but could also be an attack on the consumerist culture that is epitomized by these characters. Like all great works of subvertising, the image suitably provokes contemplation and discussion.

5. UK Elections: David Cameron

The 2010 UK General Election saw the leader of the Conservative Party staring down upon the voters from on high with slogans designed to elicit trust and popular support. In some views the posters looked disturbingly like a Big Brother scenario or a Stalinesque Russia, where the Dear Leader’s face is omnipresent. Some activists obviously disliked the Conservatives, as well as their perceived links to the banking institutions that had profoundly damaged the economy. This alteration to the slogan is a quick and simple solution, narrowly avoiding obscenity but getting its point across.

4. US Marines: The Change is Forever

The original billboard pictured here showed a clean-cut young man in the iconic uniform of the marines. Stark, unadorned type gave the simple message, “the change is forever.” As a piece of advertising it certainly did its job with a minimum of fuss. Yet the subvertised billboard is similarly simple and striking. The only change has been to replace the young man’s face with a stylized skull. The new message is clear, subverting the tagline to convey a much more sinister meaning. This image is so perfect as a piece of subvertising that it has been used in guides to billboard “improvement.”

3. BLFront: Philip Morris

The Billboard Liberation Front (see also, entry 9) has also had tobacco company Philip Morris in its sights – as the BLF puts it, as one of their “clients.”

The BLF attributes these words to Philip Morris’ company’s representatives: “This campaign drives home that message where, if you are gonna die, might as well do it on your terms. Just like our Marlboro Men did.” The original advertisement was for finalexitnetwork.org, a right-to-die organization. The replacement of this web address with that of Phillip Morris makes a stark statement on the consequences of an individual’s right to smoke.

2. Decapitator: Headless Corpses

The East London Decapitator has taken many victims, mostly the young and carefree. However, The Decapitator is thankfully not a serial killer, in the style of Jack the Ripper, but a vigilante who takes his tools to the billboards that pervade Britain’s capital city, attacking advertisements and the models that personify brands.

Using surprisingly sophisticated techniques, The Decapitator targeted fashion advertisements and Sex & The City movie posters. The graphic, shocking changes to normally bland consumerist images certainly got London talking.

1. Razorboy: The Economy

Razorboy, also known as Posterboy, is a street artist based in New York City who uses a razor to slice up posters and billboards, to amazing effect (see also entry 10 and lead image).

By exposing the layers of older posters hidden under the top advertisement, he creates innovative, thought-provoking pieces of art, which he captures with a camera and places in his Flickr stream, so that the artworks last for longer than the advertising cycle. This image is both powerful and topical, illustrating the economy as being deep in a cave – a worry that most Americans must share.

As long as there has been advertising, there have been advertising fails. From Thomas Edison electrocuting an elephant to guerrilla marketing bomb scares, we’re forced to wonder just what PR people are thinking at times. Here are 10 examples of backfiring advertisements that will have you face-palming whilst wondering if the phrase, “Any publicity is good publicity” really applies.

Dolce & Gabbana’s ‘Stylized Gang Rape’

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In 2007, Dolce and Gabbana drew fire from feminists in Spain, where they debuted a new ad featuring a woman being held down by a man while four other men looked on. Claiming that the image glorified sexual violence, the ad eventually garnered international protest. The president of NOW called it “stylized gang rape”, and politicians from several different countries resolved to have the ad pulled.

The fashion house complied, but said condescendingly: “We will withdraw that photo from the Spanish market alone, since they are behind the times. What does an artistic photo have to do with the real world?” They then went on to compare their tasteless photo to the great works of art in Museums such as the Louvre. Perhaps if they had read the newspapers that carried their ads, they might have seen the headlines detailing two horrific murders of women from the previous two months. Bad timing much? 


Hacienda’s Kool-Aid Is To Die For

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It stands to reason that advertisers would try to stay away from things like associating your business with a large suicide cult. Of course, trying to see reason in advertising is an exercise in futility, but some things should still be obvious.

Hacienda, a chain of Mexican restaurants in Indiana, decided to see if it could find the humor in the infamous Jonestown Massacre by creating billboards showing a mixed drink with phrases such as “We’re like a cult with better Kool-Aid!” and “To die for!”

After a resident of South Bend, Indiana complained, the company quickly backtracked and took down the offensive advertising. 
 


KFC Underestimates the Power of Oprah

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By now, we should all know not to underestimate the influence of Oprah. In her 20-year ascent to becoming a media powerhouse, her clout has grown exponentially. She can make any book a bestseller, nudge politicians into power, and make or break any consumer product that she deigns to notice.

When the power of Oprah was combined with the lure of free meal from KFC, all hell broke loose.

In 2009, the talk-show queen promoted an offer of a free two-piece grilled chicken meal from KFC, with a coupon that could be downloaded from her website. Additional promotion came from viral Twitter and Facebook trending, where word spread like wildfire. Within two days, KFCs across the country were overrun with hungry customers. An estimated 10 million people downloaded the coupon. KFC had to cut customers off and close early in some locations, completely overwhelmed by the demand. KFC, in a humiliating move, had to cancel the deal after the fiasco.

“Quick! Do Something Manly!”

In 2007, during Superbowl XLI, Mars Inc. debuted the first of two commercials that drew the ire of GLBT activists and advocacy groups. The commercial showed two mechanics, who get so wrapped up in eating the opposite ends of a Snicker’s bar, they end up smooching. To save their shredded masculine self-image, they tear off their shirts and rip out some chest hair — possibly not the best way to try and prove one’s heterosexuality, but that’s besides the point.

The alternative version of the commercial, circulated online, is what really set off activists: instead of ripping off their chest hair, the two mechanics pummel each other senseless. Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew Shepard responded to the ads by saying, “This campaign encourages the same type of hate that led to the death of my son Matthew. It essentially gives ‘permission’ to our society to verbally or physically harass individuals who are gay, lesbian or bisexual.”

Mars Inc. immediately backpedaled after the commercial’s debut stirred up controversy on the blogosphere and in the media, pulling the ad and issuing apologies for making light of violence against LGBT people. The company seemed to want to put itself back in the good graces of civil rights organizations and consumers alike.

This made their next slip all the more surprising. A new ad premiered in England in 2008, which showed Mr. T — envoy of all that is ‘manly’ in the world — shooting at an effeminate speed-walker and calling him “A disgrace to the man race!”

Some companies just never learn. 


“That Ain’t Right.”

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While Mars Inc. was being hounded for their commercials, Nike was drawing its own fire for its line of homophobic advertisements. Debuting in 2008, Nike’s print ads for its Hyperdunk sneakers depicted two basketball players in homoerotic poses, usually with one player’s crotch in the other’s face. Imposed over the image was a variety of phrases, including “That ain’t right,” and “Say Hello,” and most damningly, “Punks Jump Up,” a reference to a 1992 hip-hop single with anti-gay lyrics.

The company was taken to task by various bloggersand other critics. After briefly defending their strategy, Nike pulled the three offending images and issued a statement of apology.

This seemed to be the final straw, however, for LGBT activists, who were thoroughly sick of advertisements that used homophobia to sell products. As one activist wrote in an open letter to the advertising industry:

“Are you so bereft, of ideas and simple humanity, that you must be reduced to stereotyping and bullying? That you must identify an “other” to ridicule, or worse? That you must build a brand on the backs of people who have harmed no one save for challenging a high-school locker-room standard of masculinity?“ 


Salesgenie.com: Home of Racist Pandas

Another Superbowl, another offensive ad: In 2008, the marketing site Salesgenie.com premiered an ad — written by its founder, Vinod Gupta, no less — depicting two pandas as the proprietors of Ling Ling’s Bamboo Furniture Shop. The two pandas sport exaggerated Chinese accents, speak in broken English, and have misspelled signs in the shop. They connect with the Sales genie (another panda, wearing a turban and speaking with an American accent).

The story itself wasn’t the issue. The ethnic stereotypes were, and the commercial was called offensive by bloggers, and disappointing by Asian-American organizations. Much was also made of Gupta’s contributions to Hilary Clinton’s presidential campaign, in the lead up to the Iowa caucus. Gupta called the whole incident “a smear campaign”, but still pulled the ads off the air after the uproar.

“You’ve Got a Real Nice Look.”

Calvin Klein has a long history of controversial marketing tactics. Many of the company’s ads toed the line of acceptability, from the 1980 commercial with a 15-year-old Brooke Shields, coyly stating that “Nothing comes between me and my Calvins,” to its 2009 ad featuring an orgy.

In 1995, however, the fashion magnate drew a more than usual amount of flak with its series of ads that simulated screen tests for amateur porn. Featuring models as young as fifteen, the subjects of the commercial are asked to smile, dance, rip off their shirts. They’re told “Don’t be nervous,” and “You’ve got a real nice look,” by an unseen and creepy male voice behind the camera.

It took only days for the manure to really hit the fan. Family-values groups like the American Family Association immediately organized protests and boycotts. Retailers threatened to drop the brand. The US Justice Department even investigated the fashion house on possible child exploitations charges, though nothing ever came to fruition. Klein gave an interview with Newsweek denying any possible pornographic connotations, but still pulled the ads. 


Mommy Bloggers Raise Hell

Another rule for new media advertising: don’t piss off the Moms. Peter Shankman, a PR all-star, called Mom bloggers one of the “strongest-to-band-together-and-form-one-opinion-like-the-Borg collectives out there.”

In 2008, Motrin attempted to reach out to this demographic with a cute, snappy commercial, empathizing with hardworking moms that suffer for their dedication to their kids. The animated text video begins by saying “Babywearing seems to be in fashion,” then goes on to extol a few of its virtues: principally, that babies who are worn in slings cry less. “But what about me?” an animated mother asks. “Do moms that wear their babies cry more than those who don’t? I sure do.” It points out all the places on the body that are strained under the weight of a toddler, and even though it’s a “good kind of pain”, says that it can make moms look “tired and crazy.”

The Mom hordes went nuts on Twitter and in their blogs. An email-writing campaign began, a boycott was organized, and the ad agency that had created the video was overwhelmed. Days after it had debuted, the ad was pulled from Motrin’s website, and an apology was issued to all the Moms that had raised a ruckus. 
 


The Naked Advertiser

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The recent rise in guerrilla marketing tactics has changed the way that advertising works, opening up whole new possibilities for companies to gain consumers attention.

It’s also created whole new ways for companies to insult and annoy consumers, from insulting people by name, or capitalizing on the popularity of graffiti. In 2004, during the Athens Olympia games, it earned one such advertiser a jail sentence. Ron Bensimhon was convicted on charges of trespassing and disturbing public order when he broke into the men’s synchronized diving event wearing a tutu, polka-dotted leggings, and the name of (who else?) online casino GoldenPalace.com on his naked chest. After screaming, “I love you!”, he bellyflopped off the 3m diving board. Despite his sentence, Bensimhon has since gone on to crash other events, including the British Open. 


Aqua Teen Bomb Scare

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What is arguably the biggest backfire in guerrilla marketing came in January of 2007. Turner Broadcasting, producers of the Adult Swim program Aqua Teen Hunger Force embarked on a strangely subversive marketing ploy. They decorated the entire city of Boston with small, LED placards that depicted a character from the show. The placards, unfortunately, can look like IEDs to the untrained (AKA stupid) eye.

One such untrained eye spotted one of the displays above a stanchion on I-93, and called the police. The police shut down the interstate and showed up with an army of emergency vehicles to defuse the possible bomb. Other devices were found scattered across the Boston area, and parts of the city were shut down. It wasn’t until mid-afternoon that the devices were realized to depict a character from the popular cartoon.

Word eventually reached Turner Broadcasting, who issued a statement of explanation and apology. The incident ended up costing Turner $2 million dollars in settlements, and Jim Steeps, head of Cartoon Network, resigned.