6 Shocking Advertising Campaigns

Contents:

• An unsuccessful image caused fear and anger among listeners
• The controversial image of a children's party attracted attention to a beverage brand
• An unsuccessful provocation undermined the image of a tea drink brand
• An incorrect perception of the brand name contributed to its growth in popularity
• "Petushki" and "pddbir" increased interest in the kick-sharing service
• Viewers saw racist notes in the ketchup smile
• The reasons for the scandals in advertising

Advertising campaigns don't always go as planned. Sometimes advertising goes unnoticed and, as a result, fails to achieve the desired results. In other cases, advertising produces such a strong impact that ignoring it would be less of a challenge for the brand.

In this publication for the "Marketing" editorial team, we have collected six current advertising campaigns that, for various reasons, have received mixed reviews from consumers. These examples demonstrate the high risks associated with provocation in advertising materials.

• A poorly chosen metaphor evoked fear and anger in listeners.
• A controversial image from a children's party led to widespread notoriety for a beverage manufacturer.
• A provocative campaign negatively impacted the image of a brand producing tea drinks.
• Misperception of the brand name contributed to its popularity.
• "Petushki" and "pddbir" became an object of interest in the context of a kick-sharing service.
• The audience noticed elements of racism in the image created using ketchup.
• The reasons why advertising can cause scandal are varied and multifaceted. Firstly, it often touches on social or cultural issues, which can offend the sensitivities of certain groups of people. Inappropriate use of symbols, stereotypes, or jokes can provoke public outrage and protest.

  Secondly, advertising can be intentionally provocative, seeking to draw attention to a product or service. This approach, although effective, can lead to a negative reaction if the boundaries of what is acceptable are crossed.

  Furthermore, modern consumers are becoming increasingly sensitive to issues of ethics and social responsibility. Brands that ignore these aspects risk facing harsh criticism.

  It's also important to remember that public opinion can change. What was considered acceptable in the past may cause outrage today. Therefore, advertisers must be careful and consider the context in which they operate.

  Thus, advertising becomes scandalous due to a variety of factors, including social attitudes, the desire to provoke, and changing public perception.

The unsuccessful image provoked fear and anger among listeners.

In 2024, during the announcement of new tablet models, Apple presented a commercial called Crush. This minute-long video demonstrates how a powerful hydraulic press gradually compresses various objects, such as paint cans, musical instruments, electronics, and sculptures. These objects represent art, entertainment, and technological advancements.

When only bright marks remain on the surface of these objects, the press is lifted, revealing an iPad Pro inside. The main idea of ​​the advertising campaign is that this ultra-thin tablet can completely replace the usual set of tools used for leisure and creative activities.

Response. The audience's reaction to the commercial was completely different from what Apple had expected. The video, posted on CEO Tim Cook's page, immediately sparked a wave of dissatisfied reactions. Commenters on the social network X described the ad as "heartbreaking," "horrible," and "utterly unacceptable." Japanese audiences reacted particularly strongly to the situation. For many viewers in the Land of the Rising Sun, the video became a symbol of disrespect for the creative process and the tools used. On social media, one could find opinions that this video “destroys everything that man creates,” and its style is perceived as “cold and soulless.”

The reaction is likely due to Japanese cultural peculiarities. In this country, there is a notion that even objects can have a soul, which is connected to the belief in tsukumogami. Therefore, the Japanese could have perceived the scene with the press as a metaphorical destruction of creative heritage by a soulless mechanism.

Then the scandal took an unexpected turn. It turned out that the Apple commercial has significant similarities with the advertisement for the LG KC910 phone, created in 2008 by the agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty. This video also used a pressing machine, but unlike Apple, the objects were not destroyed, but carefully compressed to the size of a smartphone.

Ultimately, faced with Following heavy criticism, Apple was forced to apologize and pull the commercial just two days after its launch. However, despite this, the video remains available on platforms like X and YouTube, which marketing experts say is aimed at increasing reach and stimulating discussion.

Controversial image of children's party draws attention to beverage brand

In time for the 2022 Super Bowl, bottled water company Liquid Death has released a provocative commercial. The video depicts a children's party where children act like intoxicated adults, holding cans of Liquid Death, the design of which resembles beer packaging. A cover version of the song "Breaking the Law" by Judas Priest completes the picture.

At the final moment, a pregnant woman takes a sip from a can with an approving smile. The caption appears on the screen: "Don't be afraid. It's just water."

The response to the ad was quite emotional. Some viewers found it morally questionable and potentially threatening. Publications like Ad Age and The Stable condemned the ad's creators. However, others found the video's original genius. The video's YouTube channel has received a wide range of comments, both positive and negative. Some viewers find the video frightening and "sickeningly immoral," and the image of children drinking alcohol is completely unacceptable. At the same time, others found the video "very funny" and even "the most successful commercial of the entire Super Bowl."

As a result of active discussions, the brand became quite popular. At the same time, Liquid Death not only did not apologize for the controversial video, but in 2023 they invited a girl named Audrey as an ambassador. It is worth noting that excerpts from the provocative video still adorn the main page of the company's official website.

The unsuccessful provocation undermined the image of the tea drinks brand

In June 2025, Pims, a tea drinks manufacturer, released a series of videos with the slogan: "Pims Police - for those who decided to make Pims themselves." In the first video, a man presses a girl against the glass of a display case and begins to search her, sharply pulling up her clothes. In the second video, a girl performs similar actions, addressing a guy.

Backlash. The first video, which showed the girl being searched, caused a storm of discontent on social networks. In response, the brand posted a second video, disabling comments. However, this failed to stop disgruntled users: they began leaving critical comments under Pims' other social media posts.

The situation escalated against the backdrop of the arrest in Moscow of a group of young people accused of harassment in public places, which coincided with the publication of the video.

Various media outlets, including AdIndex and Afisha Daily, also highlighted the negative reaction to the advertising campaign. The publications cited user opinions, including statements like, "I don't like it, I'm unfollowing, I'm canceling." Advertising based on violence is the limit."

Some Telegram channels noticed that the concept of the Pims video was borrowed from a Western fashion brand. The original version lacked elements of sexualization and explicit violence. The scene where a man is pressed against a shop window during a search effectively illustrates the style and style of clothing, which is in line with the advertising goals, although it has a somewhat provocative tone. In contrast, the Pims video, along with its slogan, is perceived as a threat of violence.

Ultimately, a few days after the scandal erupted, the organization decided to remove the provocative videos and published an apology. However, the tone of this message did not reflect sincere remorse, which only increased user discontent.

Misperception of the brand name contributed to its growth in popularity

In early January 2025, sales of the Bestune T90 crossover, produced by the Chinese automaker FAW, began in Russia. In connection with this event, the brand prepared a television commercial and a similar audio commercial for the radio. The story centers on a young couple who decide to switch from motorcycles to a car. The arrival of children in their lives makes a family crossover a more suitable option for joint trips.

The voiceover says: “Today, our children have become a real source of energy in our lives. It is for families like ours that the Bestune T90 was developed - to release this drive.” At the end of the video, the slogan sounds: “Bestune T90. Family on the move.”

Reaction. The ad quickly went viral on social media. However, viewers didn't pay attention to the plot or the crossover's specifications. They were more interested in the brand's sound—the Chinese name evoked an unexpected response. Many users caught the obscene word "******" (meaning chatterbox or liar) instead of "bestyun".

This sparked a storm of jokes and memes on social media. Users ironically remarked: "When I first heard it, I almost choked on my tea," and "How can you launch a brand without checking how its name sounds in Russian?"

Ultimately, the reaction to the ad was mixed, but overall, its reception in Russia was positive. Petr Glanz, the voice actor, shared on the Red Head Sound (RHS) podcast that the client was quite satisfied with the result: the video achieved significant reach and contributed to an increase in search queries for the brand. "We'll probably get an award for this," the client's representatives told him.

However, a week after the video began airing, the client decided to re-record the voiceover to prevent negative reviews.

"Petushki" and "pddbir" increased interest in the kick-sharing service

The summer of 2023 marked the launch of a provocative advertising campaign for the kick-sharing service "Yurent." Posters appearing on the streets of Russia's capital city urged people to follow scooter rules, rather harshly.

One of the posters features two chickens riding a scooter together. The caption reads, "Bro, don't be a chicken—either on two scooters or on foot." On its Telegram channel, the brand expanded on this campaign with the phrase: "Don't be a rooster at pet-sharing, be a real city dweller – at kick-sharing."

The reaction to the posters was mixed. Kommersant and Lenta.ru expressed doubts about the appropriateness of using slang and provocative language in advertising materials. Some users took the ideas expressed too literally and began demanding refunds in the comments to the posts, insisting that the brand had insulted them.

Ultimately, in 2024, Yurent significantly changed its marketing tactics. The brand launched an original advertising campaign in Moscow, which depicted elephants riding scooters, calling on users of the service to follow traffic rules.

The advertising campaign emphasized the popular "our elephant" meme, in which an elephant invariably makes the right decisions. Examples of slogans include: "Our elephant chooses bike paths—people don't get in their way there" or "Our elephant is always polite on the sidewalk and doesn't irritate people."

In 2025, Yurent again decided to attract public attention by releasing a series of posters in Yaroslavl featuring a character called "pddbir"—a bear whose appearance resembles the city's coat of arms. After a storm of reaction erupted on social networks, the brand's marketing specialists decided to change the mascot's name to "traffic safety bear."

Viewers saw racist

In October 2024, Heinz, in partnership with Gut New York, launched a global advertising campaign called Heinz Smiles, timed to coincide with the premiere of the film Joker: Madness Together. On the eve of Halloween, posters containing visual references to both the Joker and the holiday appeared in print media across Europe and the United States.

The promotional photos showed models covered in ketchup that resembled blood and smiling ominously. The campaign was complemented by the slogan: "It must be Ha-Ha-Heinz."

Reaction. Many people reacted negatively to the advertising campaign. Some were terrified by the posters. "This campaign will haunt me with nightmares for weeks to come," shared a columnist on the website Creative Bloq.

However, the image of a dark-skinned model sparked the most controversy. Critics have noted that the image contains visual allusions to blackface, a racist 19th-century theater practice in which white actors caricatured African Americans by wearing black face paint and bright lipstick.

Users unhappy with the situation expressed the opinion that the creators could consider "alternative makeup styles." Some also suggested showing how "a dark-skinned chef chooses Heinz ketchup for his culinary creations."

The escalation of the situation occurred against the backdrop of Heinz's recent apology, prompted by the racist context of one of their advertisements. The previous scandal arose due to posters placed in the London Underground, which depicted the wedding of a black bride and a white groom. These photographs featured the groom's parents, but the bride's father was absent, evoking associations with the racist stereotype of "fatherlessness."

Ultimately, a week after the Heinz Smiles advertising campaign launched, the company apologized and decided to pull the ad.

Reasons for Advertising Scandals

There are several key factors that often make advertising the subject of discussion and evoke negative emotions.

• Shocking techniques to create buzz. Using provocative images and stories can attract interest. However, this often leads to a divided audience and gives rise to accusations of vulgarity, bad taste, and lack of professionalism.
• Bad jokes. Humor that relies on stereotypes, touches on sensitive issues, or is simply poorly executed can easily lead to conflicts.
• Ethical errors. Advertising that can misinform, promote risky behavior, or is perceived as reckless often becomes the target of public condemnation.
• Discussing social and political issues in advertising can help build brand trust, but this strategy requires careful wording and a sensitive approach. In this area, risk always exceeds the usual level.
• Discrepancy between expectations and reality. When promises are not met by product quality, this leads to disappointment among customers and negatively impacts the brand's image.

Simply put, advertising does not have to be radical to cause a scandal. It is enough that it raises sensitive issues, violates cultural taboos, or questions accepted norms.

Additional fascinating materials about the advertising field from the editorial board of "Marketing" of Skillbox Media.

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• How to apply comparative analysis in advertising to avoid losses of 500 thousand rubles.
• Why does Deadpool need Tinder? What is guerrilla marketing, what types are there, and how does it function?
• The structure of outdoor advertising on marketplaces: a guide for those who want to increase sales.
• Product integration, also known as product placement, is an advertising method in which goods or services become part of the plot of a film, TV show, or other media content. This approach allows brands to subtly integrate their products into everyday situations, making them more recognizable to viewers.

  There are several types of product placement. The classic option is overt integration, when the product is clearly shown and mentioned by characters. There are also more subtle methods, such as background advertising, where the product is present in the frame but not emphasized. Depending on the context, the product can play a key or secondary role in the narrative.

  The effectiveness of this type of advertising is often of interest to marketers. Research shows that viewers are better able to remember products they see in the context of their favorite movie or TV series than those advertised traditionally. This is because integration appears more natural and does not cause rejection in viewers. However, like any other method, product placement has its own characteristics and limitations that must be considered when using it.

The court ruled to ban the activities of Meta Platforms Inc. in Russia, concerning the spread of social networks Facebook and Instagram, based on accusations of extremist activity.