{"id":3616,"date":"2021-03-23T11:30:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-23T11:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clickceasebiz.com\/blog\/?p=3616"},"modified":"2023-05-30T15:11:12","modified_gmt":"2023-05-30T15:11:12","slug":"examples-of-controversial-ads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clickcease.com\/blog\/examples-of-controversial-ads\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Controversial Ads Work? And How Can You Make Them? [with Examples]"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you ever watched an advertisement that moved you? Left you feeling shocked and confused? An ad that tugged on your heartstrings? Well, that’s exactly what controversial advertisements are all about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating controversial ads can be a fine line between an ad that gets people talking and one that consigns your brand to the bin of shame. But, done right, it can be a very effective marketing strategy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To successfully create a controversial ad, you need to understand how the difference between shocking and offensive can have an impact on your message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why courting controversy is tempting<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Controversial ads send out a bold message that makes an impact on viewers and their feelings. Individuals are more likely to remember something if it has triggered an emotional response. A risky move for many companies, but one that has shown success in the past. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And although the word controversy has negative connotations, it can also relate to those subjects that other people are too afraid to talk about. Sex, death, gender and racial equality, and health issues are just some of the things that people might shy away from talking about around the water cooler. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But by asking difficult questions on tricky subjects, you’re confronting people with something that they might not have thought about before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hopefully, your controversial ad campaign will stimulate dinner party conversation, and maybe even a blog post such as this one, putting your brand on everybody’s lips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if it goes wrong you risk your company facing a backlash or negative press. And it goes without saying that boycotts or damaging accusations can diminish your image in the public eye. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some subjects are more controversial than others – by which I mean they offer more opportunity to fall into the wrong side of the fence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, it’s important to consider what other people think of bad advertising.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The history of controversial advertising<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since the dawn of modern advertising, marketers have been courting controversy. Although, in retrospect, some of the more controversial ads in history are seen that way as the world has changed a lot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take, for example, these horribly sexist ads which might have seemed funny and edgy in the 1950s – maybe even controversial. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Controversial<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"sexist<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As for casual racism (or unashamed racism) in ads? Yes, there was (and still is, as we will see) plenty of that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These shockingly inappropriate and racist ad campaigns obviously look very dated today. However, the sad truth is that they probably weren’t trying to be controversial, but were simply a manifestation of the public attitudes to race at the time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"a<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"a<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"a<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Although these vintage ads highlight some of the more obvious problems with racism and sexism, some brands have purposely grabbed the limelight with subjects that would obviously cause a reaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although racism and sexism remained the main focus for ‘controversial’ ads into the 70s and 80s, there was a major shift in the late 1980s – thanks to one major brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benetton embraces controversy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Benetton’s 1980s and 90s campaigns are a great example of controversy in ads (as opposed to just being offensive to half of the buying public). The Italian clothing retailer created an advertising campaign called \u201cThe Colors of Benetton\u201d, an idea designed by their photographer Olivero Toscani. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The focal point of this campaign was to grasp the viewer’s attention by using graphic pictures of real-world issues. Benetton embraced some of the most pressing subjects of the era, including AIDS, war and violence, world hunger, inequality and even highlighting the plight of prisoners on death row in the US. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Benettons
David Kirby’s death from AIDS was captured by photographer Olivero Toscani and used in a Benetton ad campaign<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Newborn<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Benetton's
Benetton’s controversial ad campaigns created a focus on the company<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With these bold images presented globally on billboards or in print, it certainly got the world talking about Benetton. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The content of the ads were almost entirely unrelated to Benetton products, and the company became synonymous with the term controversy. In some ways, the brand influenced the shift away from using obvious brand imagery in ad campaigns. And they certainly tested the old adage \u201cany publicity is good publicity”.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examples of controversial ads<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Nikes 30th Anniversary Campaign (2018)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Labor Day – a way to close out the summer in the States\u2026 or for Nike to launch their 30th Anniversary ‘Just Do It’ ad campaign. The controversial commercial featured Colin Kaepernick, a former NFL player who was dismissed from his football career after standing up for his beliefs and protesting against the inequality of minorities in the US. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After refusing to stand for the national anthem during his games, the public deemed him as anti-American. His actions reflected the quote, \u201cBelieve in something, even if it means sacrificing everything\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nike honed in on this bold statement and applied it to their ‘Just Do It’ marketing campaign, taking it to a whole new level. A black and white headshot of this new civil rights activist accompanied the quote. The public was divided over Nike’s choice of representative<\/a> for their campaign, with many people boycotting the company, burning Nike products, and posting images on social media with #JustBurnIt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good ad, bad ad? It was certainly controversial and got many people discussing the brand, even outside of America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And perhaps the telling statistic is that Nike sales went up around 10%<\/a> following the controversy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In light of the Black Lives Matter movement of 2020 and 2021, it seems that Nike may even have been ahead of the trends. And when you also consider that Nike’s target demographic tends to be younger and in line with contemporary cultural trends, it starts to look more like a wise choice of icon.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything. #JustDoIt<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/SRWkMIDdaO<\/a><\/p>— Colin Kaepernick (@Kaepernick7) September 3, 2018<\/a><\/blockquote>