Brands with the most controversial ads.

Advertising is known to connect brands to its audiences. This is a most effective means of marketing and is widely used by brands today. Ads are of different kinds and genres. Different types of ads are used for different brands and products. Let us say, if you want to advertise fast food, you will certainly keep the ad light hearted and funny in most cases. The tone of this ad will not be very serious. On the contrary while promoting a PSA for instance, the ad will be rational and to the point. The tone will also be serious. In this way brands use advertising according to their requirements. 

But advertisements that are looked down upon are controversial ads. Controversial ads are termed as unethical and generally don’t go down well with the audiences as well. These ads are not made on purpose, but they include elements that turn out to create controversy. This then throws negative light on the brand and its product. Sometimes brands unknowingly make mistakes and the ads are termed unethical. 

Here are a few brands with the most controversial ads:

Nivea- White is Purity:

The ad was termed as outright racist and faced the lot of backlash after its release. This ad showed a woman sitting on a window pane. Under it was the product, with the tagline ‘White is Purity.’ This ad gained attention for all the wrong reasons. There was a people’s outrage for terming “white” as “pure.” 

Pepsi:

This ad by Pepsi created so much outrage that it was taken down within 24 hours of its release. This ad showed people from different races and backgrounds wearing color coordinated clothes, protesting against something. The reason for protest is not shown. The protest stops only when model Kendall Jenner comes and opens a Pepsi bottle. This ad was said to be impersonating a Black Lives Matter protests and Kendall Jenner was said to be playing the protestor Lesha Evans who was arrested during the protests. 

McDonald’s- Dead father scandal:

This ad was accused of child bereavement and using children in ads to gain sympathy. The ad featured a boy grieving about his dead father while sitting at the McDonald’s store with his mother. His mother then tells him that the only common thing between the child and his father was that both of them loved the Filet-O-Fish. This ad was accused of making mockery of someone’s death. 

These are some of the brands that got into controversy because of their lack of insensitivity towards certain topics.