These 19 Commercials May Be The Most Controversial Thing I've Seen On TV
There's nothing like a brand or company that can effectively communicate through media.
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I've always loved watching commercials, eager to see what new creation will be shown.
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However, sometimes trying to think outside the box has consequences, especially if the creation is built on insensitivity, sexism, stereotypes, and more.
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Here are 19 commercials that were at the center of controversy, in no particular order.
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1.Love's Baby Soft "Innocence Is Sexier Than You Think." Ad (1975)
2.Holiday Inn's "Bob Johnson" Superbowl Commercial (1997)
3.Pot Noodle's "The Horn" Commercial UK (2005)
4.Snickers "Kiss Ad" (2007)
5.General Motors "Robot" Superbowl XLI Commercial (2007)
6.SalesGenie's "Talking Pandas" Superbowl XLII (2008)
7.Popchips and Ashton Kutcher's "Dating Video" Commercial (2012)
8.Huggies "Dad Test" Commercial (2012)
9.Mountain Dew and Tyler, the Creator's "Felicia the Goat" Commercials (2013)
10.For Goodness Shakes "Awkward Shake" UK Commercial (2013)
11.Nationwide's "Boy" Superbowl Commercial (2015)
12.Carl's Jr. "All Natural Burger" Superbowl Commercial (2015)
13.McDonald's "Favorites" United Kingdom Commercial (2017)
14.Dove's "Real Beauty" Facebook Ad (2017)
15.Gillette "We Believe: The Best Men Can Be" Ad (2019)
16.Burger King's "Vietnamese Burger" New Zealand Commercial (2019)
17.Bristol Dry Gin's "Lootin' Shootin'" UK Ad (2020)
Catfish MTV / Bristol Dry Gin / Via giphy.com
A gin brand in the UK thought using protests and riots to market their alcohol was a great idea. It wasn't a commercial, but the tweet said, "When the shooting starts, the looting starts. Voted No. 1 gin by rioters for its complex botanical mix and high flammability."
18.Burger King's "Women Belong in the Kitchen" UK Ad (2021)
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Burger King in the United Kingdom gave scholarships to women employees, and the commercial consisted of women employees working. Yet, on International Women's Day, BK UK tweeted, "Women Belong in the kitchen," followed by a series of "if they choose to" tweets providing information on their scholarships. The ad says, "If there's a kitchen, women belong there." Many people thought it was sexist.