Surely you have met advertising campaignsThey’ve sparked controversy by either taking serious matters lightly or having the wrong tone.
A few years ago, the firm Dove posted an ad on its Facebook account in which a black girl takes off a shirt to demonstrate to a white girl after using one of their soaps. The publication aroused the anger of consumers on social networks and caused the firm to apologize for the racist message that was inadvertently implied in the advertising.
Many times brands try to distinguish themselves in the sea of information that is currently available. Sometimes the effort pays off and other times, it provokes a strong consumer backlash.
Ad campaigns that sparked controversy
However, Dove’s ad is not the first to miss the tone when trying to sell a product. In recent years, several brands have gone down the wrong path and crossed the line of what the public considers acceptable.
Here are some samples:
1. Kendall Jenner and Pepsi
In this Pepsi television commercial from April 5, 2017, model and businesswoman Kendall Jenner was accused of trivializing the movement against police brutality against the Black Lives Matter community. Criticism on social media, which included the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., remarked that it seemed that racial disputes could be solved with a soda.
2. Dolce & Gabbana
This 2007 image was heavily criticized because it shows a woman feeling subdued while a group of men watch without flinching. The sexist content of the ad caused it to be banned in Spain and Italy.
3. Marc Jacobs
Fashion house Marc Jacobs was heavily criticized in 2011 for running an ad featuring then-teen actress Dakota Fanning in a short dress with a large bottle of perfume on her lap. The UK banned its distribution on the grounds that the image “sexualised children”.
4. Ralph Lauren
This Flippa Hamilton ad became infamous in 2009 for showing an absurd level of image retouching to show the model’s inhuman thinness.
5. Victoria’s Secret
This lingerie firm was accused of cultural appropriation in 2012 when it presented its ‘Go East’ collection. The ad that raised the most buzz was for the ‘Sexy Little Geisha’ set with topmodel Candice Swanepoel. The brand ended up withdrawing the campaign.
6. United Colors of Benetton
This firm that has always linked its products to social changes published in 2011 a series of images where political rivals and religious leaders kissed. The Unhate campaign drew severe criticism even from the Vatican for showing Pope Benedict XVI kissing an imam and President Obama kissing Venezuelan leader Hugo Cávez.