Top 20 Controversial Commercials That SOMEHOW Were Not Banned
Even some of the most controversial commercials don't end up getting banned. For this list, we’ll be looking at ads we can’t believe made it to broadcast. We’ll include commercials that continued to air as well as those that were eventually pulled.
Transcript
00:00 "Money creates taste and I have lots of both. Okay, go away James. So who am I? I am Don."
00:06 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20
00:11 controversial commercials that didn't get banned. "This stopped jury duty,
00:15 remember? Innocent until proven... Well, he did it, right? We all agree he did it?"
00:20 For this list, we'll be looking at ads we can't believe made it to broadcast.
00:26 We'll include commercials that continued to air, as well as those that were eventually pulled.
00:31 Which of these divisive ads would you ban? Tell us in the comments.
00:35 Hey Mojoholics! For a chance to win cash prizes, play our live daily trivia challenges every day
00:43 at 3pm and 8pm Eastern, only at watchmojo.com/play.
00:49 Number 20. The gift that gives back. Peloton. Sometimes an ad misses the mark and costs the
00:56 company billions. "Alright, first ride. I'm a little nervous, but excited. Let's do this."
01:01 That's what happened with this Peloton Christmas commercial, showing a husband gifting his wife
01:06 an exercise bike. The ad quickly drew criticism for being sexist and dystopian. Many felt the ad
01:13 was preaching the outdated concept of staying thin to keep your man, with some deeming it offensive
01:19 and dumb. Others compared the commercial to the British dystopian series Black Mirror.
01:24 Meanwhile, Peloton insisted that the ad was about the emotional and mental changes
01:29 customers are said to experience after receiving a Peloton. Either way, the advert didn't have
01:35 many fans, and Peloton ended up losing around $1.5 billion over it. That's one expensive ad.
01:42 "This gin is really smooth." "Yeah."
01:46 "We can get you another one if you like." "You're safe here. To new beginnings."
01:52 "To new beginnings."
01:54 Number 19. Surprising combination. Burger King. This ad shows why it's best to avoid using
02:01 stereotypes to sell products. You might just anger an entire country. And this is exactly what Burger
02:08 King did when they aired this Texican Whopper commercial. It depicts a cowboy moving in with
02:13 his new roommate, who happens to be a tiny man dressed as a luchador. The roommate also has a
02:18 cloak fashioned from Mexico's flag. "Brought together by destiny."
02:23 "People said it'd never work." This stereotype and misuse of the flag offended many in Mexico,
02:33 and one ambassador campaigned for Burger King to remove the ad, which they eventually did.
02:39 Don't even get us started on that tagline. "The taste of Texas with a little spicy Mexican.
02:45 To understand it, you must try it."
02:47 Number 18. The Mother's Day ad. Desigual. Mother's Day is typically a time to send
02:52 your mom flowers and show your appreciation. But one Spanish fashion brand decided to take
02:58 a different approach. Desigual debuted their Mother's Day-themed ad depicting a woman
03:03 playfully pretending to be pregnant. That perhaps wouldn't be so atrocious on its own,
03:08 if not for the fact that she produces a packet of condoms and starts poking holes in them. Big yikes.
03:15 "We sabotage their birth control and give Tom and Cami the gift of lifelong responsibility."
03:21 As you can imagine, many viewers took offense to this commercial because of its sexist themes.
03:26 The company responded that it was supposed to be funny. However, the uproar caused Desigual
03:31 to edit the commercial, removing the condom poking altogether. Happy Mother's Day, we guess?
03:37 "You did what?" "Walt, I'm... I had to. For us, for the family, I swear."
03:43 Number 17. Fly Me. National Airlines. "I'm Cindy. Fly me to Miami, Tampa, Orlando,
03:52 all over Florida. Fly me." Sometimes creating controversy can lead to success. In the 1970s,
03:59 National Airlines ran a series of commercials from their Fly Me ad campaign. The adverts focused on
04:05 flight attendants and included enough sexual innuendo to fill a warehouse. Each commercial
04:11 highlights one attendant, who repeatedly uses the expression "Fly me," and is shown in suggestive
04:17 outfits and poses. This did not sit well with the National Organization for Women, which said the
04:23 sexist ads created an open door for patrons to hit on flight attendants. Since it was the 1970s,
04:30 the ads were a great success, and National saw a rise in booked flights. But in 1980,
04:36 Pan Am acquired the company and the brand and commercials ceased. Good riddance.
04:42 "I'm Judy, and I was born to fly. Fly me." "Fly Judy. Fly National."
04:48 Number 16. The Elevator. Hyundai. Just as a rule of thumb, don't comment on people's eating habits.
04:56 Hyundai could have used this advice before airing their Super Bowl 53 ad.
05:01 "Hello folks, what floor?" "Oh, we're car shopping."
05:03 "Ah, you're going down. Way down." In it, Jason Bateman plays an elevator attendant
05:09 that sends people up for good experiences and down for bad experiences. The negative floors
05:15 include universally hated activities like getting a root canal, going to jury duty,
05:20 and apparently attending a vegan dinner party? "Vegan dinner party? Is that even a thing?"
05:25 "We're having beetloaf, Sergio's specialty." "Why, thank you."
05:28 Many vegans and even PETA took to Twitter after the ad aired to complain about the company's
05:33 treatment of those who eat a plant-based, animal-free diet. Hyundai doubled down
05:38 and assured viewers they appreciate vegans. What did they offer for reconciliation? A recipe for
05:45 beetloaf. Number 15. The Robot Commercial. General Motors. We shouldn't have to say this,
05:51 but joking about death is never a good idea, especially not if you're a brand airing to the
05:56 masses. In this GM spot that aired during Super Bowl XLI, an assembly line robot gets fired.
06:03 He struggles to find new work and ultimately throws himself off of a bridge.
06:08 Thankfully, his tragic death turns out to be a daydream, but for many viewers,
06:18 the ad's damage had already been done. Because of the outcry, GM eventually decided to edit out
06:24 the robot taking its life but continued to air the ad. You can't win 'em all.
06:29 "The GM 100,000 mile warranty. It's got everyone at GM obsessed with quality."
06:35 Number 14. Ashton Kutcher's Chips Controversy. Pop Chips.
06:40 "Money creates taste, and I have lots of both. Okay, go away, James."
06:44 This might just be the most cringe-worthy thing you've ever seen, not to mention deeply offensive.
06:51 When the Pop Chips commercial aired featuring Ashton Kutcher in brownface as an Indian man
06:56 named Raj, many viewers were left to wonder, what was he thinking? In addition to being the face of
07:01 the brand, Kutcher was also its president of pop culture. This means he not only starred in the ad,
07:07 but also had a hand in its creation and development. The commercial was eventually
07:12 pulled after an uproar from the Indian-American community, and we can all be thankful for that.
07:18 "Your waiting room's like a freak show. Are we all in the same category?"
07:22 Number 13. The Manly Men. Snickers.
07:26 Snickers is well-known for ads that push limits to get a laugh, but this Super Bowl display may
07:32 have taken things a little too far. When their lips accidentally touch while sharing a Snickers,
07:37 two mechanics decide they must do something manly. To what, reaffirm their heterosexuality, we guess?
07:44 "Quick, do something manly!"
07:45 So they rip out a patch of chest hair. But Snickers didn't stop there. The company's
07:52 website included several alternate endings to the commercial, where the manly actions
07:56 increased in stupidity and danger, including drinking motor oil and slamming heads with the
08:02 car's hood. The extra footage also included football players' reactions to the advert,
08:08 with many expressing disgust at the men kissing. After outrage about the ad's homophobia,
08:13 Snickers agreed to pull it.
08:15 "Is there room for three? On this love boat?"
08:19 Number 12. The Cursed Skittles Promotion. Skittles.
08:23 The general consensus? Skittles are delicious.
08:26 "Lemon."
08:27 "Orange."
08:33 So why would they want to create an ad that might turn you off from ever eating them again?
08:37 That's precisely what happened in 2017 around Mother's Day, when the company released a creepy
08:42 ad showing a mom and son enjoying a pack of Skittles via an umbilical cord. Yuck. It really
08:48 grossed out viewers, never mind sending the wrong message about the candy and the holiday.
08:53 "Cut the rainbow! Taste the rainbow!"
08:56 "Happy Mother's Day!"
08:57 Luckily, Skittles mercifully pulled the ad, and we thought it couldn't get creepier than
09:03 the Tube Sock guy.
09:04 "Let's go, Tube Sock! Hit me!"
09:06 Number 11. Laundry Day. Chow Bee Detergent.
09:12 Sometimes an ad makes you wonder, who thought this was a good idea? This Chinese ad for
09:22 Chow Bee Laundry Detergent shows a Black man being cleaned in a washing machine until he
09:28 emerges as a pale Asian man.
09:30 The commercial aired for months in China, but eventually went viral. Protests about the advert's
09:40 overt racism spread quickly online, until the company was forced to apologize and take the ad
09:46 down. They said it was not intended to be discriminatory, and that they hoped people
09:50 would not read too much into its content. Well, it was definitely too late for that.
09:55 Number 10. Body Wash Ad. Dove.
09:59 Poor editing is all that is needed to transform a well-meaning project into a fiercely detested
10:05 advert lambasted for being racially insensitive.
10:08 "Hi, I'm Lola, and I'm the model from the Dove advert. People seem to think the advert
10:14 is racist because I am shown to be removing my top and turning into a white woman."
10:21 As part of Dove's Real Beauty campaign, a decade-long movement promoting a positive
10:26 body image and diversity, 2017's ad's good intentions are completely undermined by a
10:32 staggering lack of foresight, especially since the company had been involved in a similar
10:36 controversy in 2014. Unsurprisingly, Dove received a great deal of flack, and the ad
10:43 was quickly labeled as racist, prompting the company to withdraw the commercial and issue
10:48 an apology.
10:49 "If Dove had defended their creative vision and defended their choice to use me as a dark-skinned
10:55 woman, defended their reasoning for using me first, for whatever reason, it could have
11:01 put a different type of narrative into play."
11:04 Number 9. Make Safe Happen. Nationwide.
11:08 "I'll never learn to fly."
11:10 For 2015's Super Bowl, Nationwide took a page from M. Night Shyamalan's book and
11:15 aired a commercial with a twist ending.
11:17 "Serve us? You mean serve us for the main course, as in eat us?"
11:22 "Let's dance!"
11:26 "What a twist."
11:31 According to a statement released as a response to the backlash garnered by the advert,
11:35 the insurance company only sought to raise awareness about children's deaths caused
11:39 by preventable home accidents.
11:42 "I couldn't go up."
11:43 Even if Nationwide's intentions were honorable, the advert itself is still emotionally
11:48 manipulative and way too depressing for a spot during the Super Bowl. While there is
11:52 a time and place for everything, Dead Children and a Patriots vs. Seahawks match do not mesh
11:58 all that well.
11:59 Number 8. Bob Johnson. Holiday Inn.
12:03 Despite the substantial monetary investment required to purchase a Super Bowl ad slot,
12:08 the appeal of broadcasting to at least 70 million viewers is understandably tempting.
12:14 Of all possible brands, Holiday Inn is responsible for producing one of the sporting
12:18 event's most confusing commercials.
12:20 "New nose, $6,000. Lips, $3,000. New chest, $8,000."
12:29 In order to promote its renovation project, Holiday Inn compares its prospective transformation
12:34 to that of a transgender woman.
12:36 "Don't tell me. I never forget a face. Don't help me here. It's uh..."
12:39 "It's amazing the changes you can make for a few thousand dollars."
12:44 Gender awareness has come a long way since 1997, but Bob Johnson did not need social
12:49 media to attract a sea of complaints that promptly convinced Holiday Inn to pull the ad.
12:55 Number 7. Test Baby. HomeAway.com.
12:59 With the Super Bowl containing dozens upon dozens of commercials,
13:03 companies must find a way to stand out from the crowd.
13:05 "Come on man, you've been riding me all day."
13:07 "You're playing like Betty White out there."
13:09 "That's not what your girlfriend says."
13:10 "Baby!"
13:10 "You Snickers. Better?"
13:15 For better or worse, HomeAway's Test Baby campaign was definitely among the least
13:21 forgettable ads to air during 2011's event.
13:24 "I'm the minister of de-tourism."
13:26 "We're a secret government agency saving vacations."
13:30 "Families are getting swindled. Why? Because hotels hate your guts."
13:35 Even if the baby is obviously a doll, there's just something off-putting about
13:40 watching a toddler, fake or otherwise, slam into a glass panel.
13:44 "Test Baby. Rent a vacation home from HomeAway.com. Space privacy."
13:51 HomeAway's campaign sought to highlight the safety benefits of living in a more spatial rental,
13:55 but the chosen imagery kind of overshadows any point the advert tries to make.
14:00 When it comes to babies and animals, commercials should always tread carefully.
14:04 "I tell you right now though, I'm so angered by seeing that,
14:07 I wish I could go out and punch that baby again."
14:09 Because innocence is sexier than you think, loves Baby Soft.
14:20 Society has changed considerably since the mid-70s.
14:24 So much so, it almost feels unfair to target a commercial from such a different era.
14:29 "Can't you see I'm squeezing shaman bathroom tissue?"
14:32 "Why?"
14:33 "Because it's soft, that's why. Deep down soft, see?
14:36 Oh, shaman, so squeezably soft, it's irresistible."
14:40 Even if not viewed through modern lenses,
14:43 Love's Baby Soft, trying to sell its perfume by correlating innocence with sex,
14:47 appears designed solely to trigger a shudder of disgust.
14:51 "There's one person nobody can resist, and that's a baby.
14:54 So Love made Baby Soft with the innocent scent of a cuddly, clean baby that grew up very sexy."
15:02 If this amounted to only a slogan, it would be one thing.
15:05 However, Love's Baby Soft's commercial went the extra mile by babifying their models.
15:11 Are these commercials meant to be cutesy or seductive?
15:15 Regardless of the intent, these ads are mostly creepy.
15:18 "Because innocence is sexier than you think, for your baby."
15:22 Number 5. Live for Now. Pepsi.
15:26 Once in a while, an ad comes along that misses the mark so spectacularly,
15:30 the fact that anyone ever thought it was a good idea seems almost unbelievable.
15:34 "One tweet about the commercial that's getting thousands of likes and retweets
15:38 is one that theorizes that this Pepsi ad is so bad it must actually be an ad for Coke."
15:42 "Ouch."
15:43 "But that's just one theory."
15:44 Appearing to take inspiration from the Black Lives Matter movement,
15:47 Pepsi's commercial stars Kendall Jenner as a model who cultivates peace through
15:51 the power of sugar-filled carbonated drinks. Closing on a message of solidarity,
15:56 Pepsi's Live for Now was heavily criticized for seemingly attempting to profit off an
16:00 important social movement. "Many are noting the similarity between the image of Jenner
16:04 and the officer to this widely circulated photo of Black Lives Matter protester Aisha Evans
16:10 when she approached police at a demonstration in Baton Rouge."
16:13 While the company presumably had less scummy intentions,
16:16 Pepsi did succeed in uniting people over a mutual hatred for this ad.
16:20 "No, we're celebrating these cultures. We're celebrating black culture."
16:23 "Dancing hip-hop."
16:28 "But we're also celebrating Asian culture."
16:31 Number 4. Panda's Super Bowl XLII ad. Sales Genie.
16:40 With only 30 seconds to sell a product, story-driven commercials frequently turn
16:45 to stereotypes as a way to quickly establish their characters.
16:48 "If you don't double your sales, you're outta here."
16:51 "But Hank, I have seven kids."
16:53 "Not my problem."
16:53 "How can I double my sales?"
16:56 "Salesgenie.com."
16:58 Around 47 years after Mickey Rooney's infamous turn in Breakfast at Tiffany's,
17:02 Sales Genie somehow failed to foresee that pairing animated pandas with over-the-top
17:06 Chinese accents may cause a bit of a stir.
17:10 "We have no customers, no sales. We're going out of business."
17:13 "Ling-ling, I am not going back to the zoo."
17:15 Along with pissing off plenty of people,
17:17 the advert does a pretty terrible job of selling a company that specializes
17:21 in helping other businesses grow.
17:23 The panda's advert was eventually taken out of rotation because, of course it was.
17:28 "Thank you, Sales Genie. Hey, kid, you wanna go see the grizzly bears at the zoo?"
17:32 Number 3. Tibet's Super Bowl XLV ad. Groupon.
17:36 "The people of Tibet are in trouble. Their very culture is in jeopardy.
17:41 But they still whip up an amazing fish curry."
17:45 In 2011, a record-breaking 110 million people turned in to watch the Green Bay Packers defeat
17:51 the Pittsburgh Steelers. That same audience also bore witness to a Groupon commercial
17:56 that missed the mark so thoroughly, the advert might as well have been issued by a competitor.
18:01 "Whales. The most spectacular creatures on the planet."
18:05 "Hi, I'm Cuba Gooding Jr. Today, their numbers are dwindling. Somebody's gotta save 'em.
18:13 But it's more fun watching 'em jumping. Playing."
18:16 As part of a series of videos poking fun at celebrity-endorsed adverts,
18:20 the Tibet entry took things about 100 steps too far,
18:24 resulting in an unfunny commercial that appears to trivialize a tragic situation.
18:28 "And since 200 of us bought at Groupon.com, we're each getting $30 worth of Tibetan food
18:33 for just $15 at Himalayan Restaurant in Chicago."
18:36 The ad was such a spectacular disaster,
18:38 Groupon declined to air another Super Bowl commercial until 2018.
18:42 Number 2. Felicia the Goat III. Mountain Dew.
18:47 "Alright, man, we got 'em all lined up. Nail this little sucker.
18:50 Come on, which one is he? Point to him."
18:52 Even if Mountain Dew and Tyler, the Creator's trilogy about a talking goat with a propensity
18:56 for violence is almost too absurd to take seriously, that did not stop the series'
19:01 final advert from being identified as racist. After assaulting a waitress in the first commercial,
19:07 Felicia the Goat is arrested and placed into a lineup consisting of solely black suspects.
19:11 "I don't think I can do this."
19:13 "It's easy. Just point to him."
19:14 "You better not snitch on a player."
19:16 The lineup consists of members of hip-hop collective Odd Future and a couple of Tyler's
19:21 friends, so this advert about a misbehaving goat was probably not trying to spark a conversation
19:26 about racial profiling.
19:28 "I can't do this! I can't do this! No! No! No! No! No! No! No!"
19:37 "She's just gonna do it."
19:38 "You're never gonna catch me!"
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19:56 Number 1. Lemming's Super Bowl XX ad.
20:00 Apple
20:00 "Hey Siri, read my schedule."
20:02 "You have 25 appointments at 7.15, 7.20, 7.20."
20:06 "You're on the telly."
20:07 Nowadays, Apple has pretty much perfected the art of advertising. However, the company was
20:11 still attempting to find its voice during the mid-80s. Following the previous year's iconic
20:16 advert inspired by George Orwell's 1984, Apple tried to recapture lightning in a bottle with
20:22 another incredibly grim piece called Lemming's. Along with advertising a product that would never
20:34 hit shelves, Lemming's basically presents Apple's potential customers as mindless drones who
20:39 blindly cause their own demise. Shockingly, insulting your customers is not a great marketing
20:44 strategy and Apple is lucky this advert did not inadvertently lead the entire brand off a cliff.
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21:14 [Music]