by Aidan Huang in Inspiration on 25th Feb 2010 · Comments

80 Extreme Advertisements That Will Challenge Your Mind

An advertisement’s aim is to instantly attract the attention of viewers. Some use humour to draw viewers’ attention, but there are other kinds of advertisements that go to extremes to present something different. As a follow up to our previous article 60 Humorous Advertisements That Will Tickle Your Bones, today we look at the opposite extreme to using humour in advertisements. Presenting another side to design, some of the advertisements shared in this article today may be a little visually disturbing or conceptually controversial.

Warning: Viewers Discretion Is Advised!

Extreme Advertisements
Image from: Squid

While some might find them somewhat perverse yet creatively brilliant, others might cringe and be disgusted or disapproving of their content or style. Everyone has a right to an opinion.

80 Controversial and Disturbing Print Ads

Let’s look at these advertisements objectively with an open and analytical mind and appreciate the creativity that went into it. One has to wonder how the creative directors and designers came up with these concepts. What was the thought process and rational behind their radical ideas? Was there prior censorship and surveying done in a control group before the decision to go ahead with the advert was made? No matter the response, such advertisements do exist and are on the rise. Does challenging the norm by being controversial and extreme payoff by leaving an impact or making an impression on viewers? This is an answer we’d love to find out.

Here are 80 controversial advertisements that challenge the boundaries of what is socially and morally acceptable with the use of dark humour and shock tactics. These print advertisements often use gore, vulgarity, sex, violence, and sometimes religion to promote their products or bring across the organisations’ message. These adverts either challenge social, political or moral propriety. That is why some of these advertisements are banned in certain countries. Although the use of such adverts can be effective, it is not for the faint of heart or small of mind. Not everyone can appreciate the beauty in such clever and deliberate ugliness.

Just liquid hand wash: Cockroaches

Ariel: Pervert

Amnesty International: Archery

AMAM - Association of Women Against Genital Mutilation: Plastic doll

Alka-Seltzer: New Year

Amnesty International: Red Little Tender

Vergessen ist ansteckend: Tub

TMF: Army

Queer Travel.de

Superette: Elevator

AIDS Awareness Campaign: Gay

Stella Coffee Pot: Spider

SPID Advertising

Solid Paint: Cross

1 2 3 4

Aidan Huang

Aidan Huang is a web enthusiast and ingenious blogger who loves all things design, interesting and technology. He is the editor-in-chief here at Onextrapixel and have founded several other interesting blogs. Do keep in touch with him at Facebook and follow him at Twitter.

Nick

That hands one. Literally made my jaw drop. Wow.
- Andrea
  
  me too. i wanted to cry.
  - Hypnotika
    
    Me three.. that and the broken child.
  - Sarah
    
    Same here. That's exactly how it feels. It never lets go.
    - Name is…
      
      WOW!!! Someones are weird!! and disgusting!! and others are scary!!!!!!!!!!
- Grant
  
  Eye opening, hard truth
- Erica
  
  ya me too on that one!
http://www.twentyonegunsphoto.wordpress.com tografix

some great ads.
http://sexidesign.com Melody

Wow, these are intense, I applaud the designers and companies willing to take big risks in their marketing. Funny, I just recently did a post on the origin of plastic sex dolls ;)
http://maiconweb.com Maicon Sobczak

Killer advertisements! Sometimes people only begin to think after a shock. Very good compilation.
http://www.designsy.com designsy

WOW very interesting kind of ideas, thanks for all the work.
puree

Very nice collection!
http://www.solobirch.com Lukas

The worst part is not many clients will accept such a great ideas. But let's hope some of our will :)
- Zack
  
  I applaud you showing clients these ads. Your confidence will help you clients to feel more confident about controversial advertising. If just one of these ads showed up on a billboard or in a magazine, that would be a huge accomplishment.
  - TOMTOM
    
    Not to split hairs, but in case you are interested, two of these have been shown on billboards in New Zealand; the Suprette one (be caught dead in it) and the one of the man inside the beer glass (was last night really worth it).
    
    But yeah i agree with everyone here in that these are fantastic and highly imaginitive ads, which must all have been designed by talented and brave designers.
    - John
      
      And indeed the binge drinking one (what are you doing to yourself) I saw on the side of a bus in Sydney (or possibly Port Nelson) in the last week
  - Anna
    
    "Smart" idea! Zack, all this is done from sick brains. Your perception of accomplishment means more sick brains with next generation. Do you ever consider that kids take this messages as they are expressed, not why they are expressed this way?
http://www.kukay.com KJuly

I should say, these pics are all good works with great creativity.
I really like them!
http://www.iamnotu.com Jesse S

Great pieces of work, all of them, but agreeing with Lukas, at least for the U.S., It's rare that that the client or the FCC or whomever will allow such a visual ad.. too bad , these are great!
http://adsoftheworld.com ivan @ aotw

Hey, thanks for the special collection and the backlinks to AotW! I dugg and tweeted you!

Oh this math question below is too hard for me! :)
- http://www.onextrapixel.com Aidan
  
  Thanks Ivan. LOL, we'll try to make it more simpler next time! :)
Chris

Do Europeans realize not just gay people can get AIDs?
- Cyril
  
  You mean it doesn't stand for Ass Induced Death Sentence???
- Muse
  
  I'm sure that they do, but would it be on the "controversial ads" list if it were for straight people?
- James
  
  Many uninformed gays do not use condoms, as the number one use of condoms is to prevent birth. The ads are to inform gays that while they cannot get their partner pregnant, sex without a condom can still expose them to harmful infections.
  - Andrea
    
    very good point
    - Cammy
      
      Approximately 9700 women were diagnosed with HIV in 2005
      
      * 80 percent were from heterosexual transmission
      
      # How many women in the world today are living with HIV?
      
      *
      
      UNAIDS estimates that 15.7 million women ages 15 and over are living with HIV/AIDS, accounting for half of all adults living with the disease worldwide—a proportion that has remained relatively stable since the mid-1990s. In some of the most affected countries and for younger populations, HIV-positive women outnumber HIV-positive men. In sub-Saharan Africa, 59% of adults with HIV/AIDS are women. In the countries hardest hit by the epidemic, HIV is up to three times as prevalent among young women as among their male peers.
      
      In higher-income countries, the impact of HIV on women is growing and is most pronounced in marginalized populations, including minorities, immigrants, and refugees. In the United States, the most severe impact of the epidemic is among gay and bisexual men of all races and Black Americans; for example, Blacks account for almost half of all new HIV infections in the U.S. 5 to 44.
      
      # Why are young women at a higher risk of HIV infection than young men?
      
      *
      
      Many young women lack information about sexual and reproductive health and disease prevention. In countries with generalized epidemics, the majority of women ages 15 to 24 do not have access to information or resources about reproductive health and HIV/AIDS. Young women may also lack access to health care and education. In addition, young women are among the most vulnerable because their genital tracts have less mature tissue, which may be more easily torn, and they are often victims of coercive or forced sex.
      There were about 127,000 women living with HIV in 2005
      
      * 64 percent were black
      * 19 percent were white
      * 15 percent were Hispanic
      * one percent were Asian / Pacific Islander
      * less than one percent were American Indian / Alaska Native
      
      women are more susceptible to get HIV/AIDS than men. :/ the whole 'gay man-without prot=aids..is a little bit double standard...I get the point though
      - http://www.onextrapixel.com Aidan
        
        Hi Cammy, thanks for the informative report.
      - Everrett
        
        Cammi, you are an idiot. Don't worry the cut/paste on your computer works fine. We get it we should all wear condoms.
Zombine

Wow, just wow. It make me think.
- http://www.customervideoreviews.co.uk/ Casy – Video Reviews
  
  If it makes you think, then the advertisements worked and paid off. I personally think some of them were disturbing, but overall, the shock tactics quite often work - especially if it is for an ethical cause such as raising awareness about the health harms that smoking does.
Woops

Your images never load for me here in Canada.
- http://www.onextrapixel.com Terrance
  
  Sorry for the inconvenience cause.
  
  You can try to clear your cache by holding down Shift + click refresh or go to your browser's setting to clear it.
  - weiv
    
    Pictures don't show in USA either. Tried in a few browsers.
    - Jinx
      
      I'm in the USA, NY to be exact, and they load fine for me. Pretty fast actually, considering the size and number.
      
      Just trying to help narrow the problem ^.^
    - CAMisTUFF
      
      It loaded just fine for me as well.
http://publigeekaire.com Publigeekaire

Nice list. How many scam ads, that is the question...
Leon

I think many of them are great works of art, but it's ashaming that such extreme advertisement is necessary to reach people and it makes people numb to normal advertisement, thus creating even more extreme ads to be effective, until nothing is shocking or extreme enough to attract attention
- Anna
  
  Absolutely!!!!!
http://amberseree.com Amber

Thanks for this. Maybe a little much to handle. Damn.
Crockett

My wife has MS so that one hit me. I wish I could show her, but she may not like to see it.
http://www.maryamkazerooni.com maryam

They are breathtaking ....
- http://priteewoman apurva
  
  so hot picture
Josh

I agree with Leon exactly. I am actually a big fan of these ads, but I fear that desensitization of society will lead to more extreme ads until there is no censoring at all anymore.

Great compilation though.
- http://www.onextrapixel.com Aidan
  
  Hi Josh, these ads won't even be shown here in Singapore. That explains how strict the censorship here are.
  - Dawne
    
    Well actually the Aware Helpline: Verbal Abuse did run in the Singapore media, across print, as well as OOH if i don't remember wrongly.
    
    Unfortunately most of the time censorship happens at the client's side, because they're afraid to take the risk and they'd rather take the neutral (easy) way out.
http://mygazeta.com/ AlexsaZ

wow сколько много креатива, реклама двигатель прогресса, хотя защитники животных тоже не отстают
- http://www.onextrapixel.com Aidan
  
  wow what a lot of creative, advertising engine of progress, while animal welfare advocates are not far behind
  
  This is the translation to English.
ClaraM

Awesome ads. This sort of graphic design just might be my career someday.
An ad I really want to see, is one speaking out against the abuse of men. A really understated issue, but it happens just as often. Someone could make a real shocker out of that one...
- Jen
  
  While I agree with you that the domestic abuse of men by their female partners is an issue which does not recieve the attention or support it deserves, by no stretch of the imagination does it happen anywhere NEAR "just as often" as the abuse of women by men. Seriously, nowhere near. Like, maybe 1% of the time. I'm not belittling those men out there who do suffer violent abuse at the hands of their partners, but you can support them with the truth! It doesn't have to happen just as often for it to be just as bad! When a woman abuses a man, it's just as terrible and wrong as the other way round - but it's not as common.
  
  Personally I'd like to see something targeted at domestic violence in LGBT relationships - women who are abused by women or men who are abused by men. It happens, and just like the abuse of men by thir female partners it doesnt get talked about enough.
  - ClaraM
    
    Well, I can't remember or find where I read that, and I may have misread it from it saying they were trying to PROVE it happened just as much(probably that, yeah). But I do believe it's closer to that in fact than 1% of the time. "Every year, 1,510,455 women and 834,732 men are victims of physical violence by an intimate. This is according to a Nov. 1998 Department of Justice report on the National Violence Against Women Survey."(http://www.menweb.org/battered/gjdvdata.htm) That's at least 50%.
    
    I agree on the LGBT issue, too. Of course, more people are likely to say they deserve it for their lifestyle.
http://ftrsports.com Dave

there is a great ad for Guess, in europe. It's the G shaved into a girls pubes!
- Sarah
  
  Uuuuuh, how is that great??
- C
  
  That's actually a Gucci ad.
Tara

really good... yes they're extreme..but exactly what people need to see and feel...heights of creativity i would say... overall..its great..!
http://www.krishnasolanki.co.uk/ Krishna

Wow, these are really challenging ads.
Definitely eye catching, however I do wonder if some of them are pushing the boundaries a bit too much....

none the less definitely a good collection...

well done :)
Alexander

The problem is that almost every image here is frightening.

I did not see anything nothing really funny or inspirational
- Jinx
  
  Nothing was supposed to funny or inspirational. These are controversial.
Zack

These ads are shocking! Too bad the general public has no idea just how shocking the issues are that these messages address. I believe that a double take ad that provokes thoughts and evokes feelings is just what America needs to wake up and attach an emotion to these "issues" that are reported, but never really detailed. A picture says 1000 words.
tania

great work! i really think that our world needs this to keep on thinking and not just pass by...
http://juanescalante.tumblr.com Juan Carlos

Shock without real thought put behind it, is just obnoxious. As most of these ads are.

Audience: Woah a bunch of newborn babies sucking the milk off a pig... wait. That isn't happening

Brainhead advertiser: True, but it's almost as if it were happening right?

Audience:... right, I'm going back to ignoring you. But Good luck on winning one of those meaningless awards no one but your creepy industry friends give a crap about!
- Jinx
  
  Um no. the image is upped so make you look, Feel sad about the dirty infants suckling off a pig. Then you read the little part about childhood hunger, which you obviously did not do.
  
  I'm sure more people care about childhood hunger than "crappy industry" people.
  
  "A COMMENT without real thought put behind it, is just obnoxious."
  - Jinx
    
    my bad. "supposed to make you look"****
    - Charlie
      
      Agreed Jinx,
      
      Juan, ironically your tone seems unnecessarily obnoxious. It's hard to get people pay attention these days... and an image such is does the trick in many cases.
      Of course babies are literally suckling from a pig in reality, (in reality they don't even get this option and starve), we all know that. It is a simple visual metaphor that is all. Metaphors like this have been used since language began to help communicate a message or idea more clearly.
      
      Shocking? Perhaps, but for a good reason xx
    - http://juanescalante.tumblr.com Juan Carlos
      
      I know what a metaphor is, and I also know when I see a badly crafted one, in this case I suppose it's: "The situation of starving babies is so dire, it's as if they'd rather suckle a dirty hog than starve." If you don't understand why it doesn't work, I can't really help you there.
    - Charlie
      
      I guess it could be read like that.
      
      But with the tag 'If you don't feed them, who will', I read it more along the lines of 'A pig isn't going to step in and feed these kids... you're going to have to do something'.
      
      I'm not saying it's the best ad in the world (it isn't), just perhaps worth a second look. I guess you could argue, as with many of these ads, if the viewer is offended before they really give the ad a chance, then it hasn't worked.
      
      Interesting nonetheless that so many people have something to say about this kinda ad.
      
      xx
  - http://juanescalante.tumblr.com Juan Carlos
    
    I get what they tried to do Jinx, I gather they put an awful image to try and get a visceral reaction from the public.
    
    A visceral reaction is not given for free, and if you waste it with such a poor idea you'll only turn off people mentally and emotionally and have your message ignored.
    - C
      
      Poor ideas like the welfare of children, women, and the general health and safety of the public.
- Nic
  
  I agree with you. These are nothing but shock value, and shock value takes no effort what so ever to do. Most of these made me think, but the large majority of those just made me think 'What is this ._.?'
  
  It wasn't deep thought about the subject, more deep thought along the lines of 'what were they thinking?'
  
  The large majority of these ads are weak.
- Anna
  
  Like it
http://www.addictivehobby.com Billy

Awesome !- these certainly get your attention eh!
great post.
http://www.benoliveira.blogspot.com Ben Oliveira

WOW... This post just made me speechless.
What can I say about it?
Just loved.
http://sarahlynndesign.com Sarah Lynn

Phewwww... these are intense ads. I had a hard time just getting through the first half! Very moving, disgusting, breathtaking, scary, awful... the list of emotions go on. Do you know if these have actually been published?
- http://www.onextrapixel.com Aidan
  
  Sarah, I believed most of them get through the censorship board in other country. Though I never seen them anywhere in Singapore. Have you seen them in your country?
  - TOMTOM
    
    I have seen two of them in New Zealand, as well as similarly shocking ones not shown here. I think that compared to many things in other mainstream media these aren't even that unusually graphic so I wouldn't be suprised if most of these have been published.
    - http://www.onextrapixel.com Aidan
      
      No doubt, there are even more controversial, explicit or graphic disturbed ads around. What's shown here may still be just a tip of the iceberg. Have you seen other controversial ads? Please share with us!
      - TOMTOM
        
        Here are some binge drinking ads that have been shown recently on New Zealand television. They are all pretty heavy.
        
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p9LzrkWx4k
        
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pXao8YW0YM
        
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6StE32U6Gs
        
        And I came across this recently as well:
        http://www.ellf.ru/uploads/posts/2010-02/1266789769_hand-and-legs-o.jpg
      - Emily
        
        These are amazing ads, those NZ binge drinking ads are great have you seen the Australian "Don't turn a night out in to a nightmare" campaign heavy stuff mate.
Muse

I think that at this point, this is the kind of advertising that will get through to our society. After all, we are so desensitized that watching Sarah McLachlin talk about animal abuse just doesn't cut it. However, seeing a crying child in pieces on the floor strikes a chord.
http://inrumor.com Julia

wooow. those creative guys are genius!
Phil E. Drifter

That cocaine ad is stupid, because if cocaine weren't illegal, there wouldn't be any violence as a result of it. And it's wrong anyway, because coca is cheap and plentiful in South America. The violence only comes as a result of the US forcing the world to enforce it's laws.

The war on (some) drugs is the US's cash cow and it's excuse to trample on the rest of the world.
TOMTOM

Here's another one i found. Its very simple but very effective in its use of negative space

http://www.ellf.ru/uploads/posts/2010-02/1266789769_hand-and-legs-o.jpg
- Sarah
  
  God. That's one of the most triggering things I've seen in a LONG time. Feeling sick to my stomach.
  
  Not only this, but a number of these ads make me wonder - where do survivor's rights come into play here?
http://junkiee.net Nina

Great stuff, all very much inspiring and breathtaking!
Thanks for sharing :)
Liz

Wow... I'm still kind of in shock over some of these. I think it's great though, when art makes us uncomfortable we might actually do something about it. I was really caught by the Amnesty International one, I think the 3rd or 4th down. I actually opened a tab to look at the site. Great Job!
nithin

this photos sucks..........Irritating
Phoenix

These are great, because they tell the truth. I think we could need some more of these to peel us from our neat little "another oatmeal cookie?"- and "would you rather like this iPhone, or that new flat screen"-reality...
Bagus

wow,,,
nice collections,,
and im sure those creative people behind these advertisements are brave to push the boundaries.
Erin

I was disgusted by the picture of the seal and the beaten baby. I would have rather seen a beaten adult, to be honest. I still think it would have been controversial enough to draw attention. Being a parent to a small child and also being pregnant, thats too much to see for me. I think its too insensitive. But besides that one, I really enjoyed the list.
- http://www.onextrapixel.com Aidan
  
  Hi Erin, I hope you are doing good. Please note that "Viewers Discretion Is Advised!" Insensitive it may be, but it sure bring down a strong message though I agree not all are able to handle it.
- deb
  
  Well Erin,
  We club a lot of BABY seals. Being disgusted is exactly the right reaction because it's an horrific and disgusting practice.
  - Cammy
    
    this is gonna be really bad..and i have a really BAD insensitive joke for it ...so don't read if you don't like that. a seal walks into a club...
- shun
  
  Erin, the reason (i think) they are using the picture of a baby is because human are doing that to baby seals...an eye for an eye right?
  ps. i dont think this is about what u rather see, its about what is actually happening out there..
http://technochase.com/ Bogcess

Great ads man! You definitely caught my attention.
Amanda

All of these ads are stunning. Like someone mentioned before, it's a shame that it takes that much to strike a chord with anyone anymore. More people need to see them. Censorship will only bring ruination.
weez

censorship is not the problem, ignorance is.
shock value is not the answer, education is.

get a grip, think for yourself, stop believing everything you're told.
fuentevilla

very nice examples, they're very aggressive and cold. I like the way they try to make an impact on the spectator.
Kristin

What a thought provoking and disturbing collection. However, I couldn't figure out what is controversial about the Pastorini Toy Store ad. What am I missing?
- http://www.onextrapixel.com Aidan
  
  Hi Kristin, the little girl is playing with real animals, treating them like a toy. I guess it sort of sending the wrong message to people.
Vikas Kataria

Creativity is a good thing. But this is uptight gross stuff.
- http://www.onextrapixel.com Aidan
  
  Vikas, I guess creativity and grossness doesn't work for you though. :P
  - Vikas
    
    Well, it depends on the subject. Anyway, there are few ads which I really liked though. RSPCA: Woman , Squid & Stella Coffee Pot: Spider. Hats off to people who can think, I mean really think. Mind over everything else I guess.
http://lasmentirasqueadancontoalaprensa.blogspot.com/ Lauraenriketa

Buenisimo! Hay alguno verdaderamente impresionate!

Saludos
- http://www.onextrapixel.com Aidan
  
  Buenisimo! There are some truly impressive amount! Greetings
  
  This is the translation to English.
Bea

Guauuuu, some of them are realy disgusting and confusing, but others are just master pieces of advertisement....
pgrafico

hi there... i live in mexico and and i have interest in use some of this images, this are free to use, or i have to pay for it?

thanks.
- http://www.onextrapixel.com Aidan
  
  Hi pgrafico, you are free to use the images but please give relevant credits back to the origin of the images.
  
  Thanks.
Enrico

Hi Aidan,

very impressive. I collected some sexy ads on my blog, eventually it's interesting for you?

http://marketing-gui.de/2010/03/05/30-sexy-werbemotive-denn-sex-sells/

If not, feel free to delete this link.

greetings from Germany

enrico
- http://www.onextrapixel.com Aidan
  
  Thanks for sharing Enrico!
Alejandro

Increible, tremendo post!!
felicitaciones.

Lo compartiré en mi Blog.
Sara

I don't even understand alot of these. What the hell is Canex?
deb

I really like the Arthritis ad. Some of these are too much for me, but that one was clear & effective without being over the top. Just turning on a faucet is like agreeing to grab a bunch of spikes. Every single time. That's pretty powerful.
http://dyvantity.com Dany Vilela

Wow, amazing collection... Really compelling ads... You can't just look at them without thinking about these issues.

Every month, I also publish a selection of creative ads, hope you'll have time to take a look to my article too!

http://dyvantity.com/inspiration/unpublished-february-2010/

Regards!
- http://www.onextrapixel.com Aidan
  
  Hi Dany,
  
  Thanks for sharing.
Megan

fantastic!
http://russianizethis.com Elena

Some of them were definitely jucky. Was that guy sniffing panties? Kiss my glass was funny and the bug thing, bout frogs. Nice collection, thanks for sharing.
jbwww

Advertising kills too.
gen

awesome stuff. very inspiring
http://www.webideas.co.il איביי

very nice!
James Hart

Hi Aidan,

I am delighted, enchanted and some what inspired by the thought provoking creative and perfectly stimulating work. All I can think of is: what is next, need to see more, more shocking and bold ideas that can put sense back to words when it comes to media verses human interaction and media and consumer products.

Thank you for sharing,

JH
- http://www.onextrapixel.com Aidan
  
  Hi James, thank you for your comment.
http://10steps.sg Johnson Koh

Excellent collection! Your first cockroach hand gross me a lil haha!
http://www.onextrapixel.com Aidan

@Johnson, the cockroach hand also gross me for a while.

@Juan, I agreed with you on that.

@Charlie, it true that every single person read an advertisement with different feelings and perspective.

Thank you all for the comments.
http://www.threepixeldrift.com/ Taylor Satula

Really makes you think
keith

what's with the gay ads? that shouldn't be public or acceptable.
- Kelly
  
  Straight people aren't the only ones who have to be careful about sex.
  most of these AREN'T public. If you can't handle the fact that there other people who live their lives differently from you then you are obviously very narrow minded.
http://www.yusigames.com yusi

wow.. what a creativity! i adore kiss my glass :)
juan

aids is not only gay .... stupid people
http://www.codefear.com Ravi Ahuja

Great post. What a great creative ads.
lorraine

i,m sorry ,but the shock of seeing those pictures took away all meaning and understanding of what the message was all about in the first place....which to me is a wasted advertisement...people need to be educated, and not to think they are watching a horror movie or being manipulated into a way of thinking that just doesnt seem real........a bit like sarcastic brain washing crap...makes you resent the message the person is trying too put across...just plain old education in the way we can feel the empathy or the concern that we so understand so easily....no one likes violence or cruelty in any form......
- Josh
  
  lorraine... fail.
Hermitbiker

.... for a world that has become "de-sensitized", extreme advertising seems to be the way to go.... they do seem to catch your interest right away.... but I do see lawyers making a big deal out of these.... I like these all !! :)
Damon

Is it really that "extreme" to straight people to see gay people in an advertisement? Or just to the ones in the advertising industry? Given that those AIDS ads were clearly targeted at a gay audience, it's probably reasonable to speculate that they weren't banking on the apparent shock value of seeing The Gays.
http://www.cyberfootprint.eu Honza

Goodness me! These ads kick some serious butt. Very shocking indeed. I think that the ones that worked on me are featuring the pests. Given my cultural upbringing, this is quite a lot to handle. Nonetheless, I assume these ads would work.
Trevor

The ads drawing attention to social and humanitarian issues are good, and I think rouse deserving attention to important causes. But the ones that are just advertising some dumb cleaning product or chocolate -- the shock value is cheap and not merited.
http://entityphotographic.com Entityphoto

Very thought provoking images. Very impressive ideas.
http://geyikadam.com/ husein

waaaoouuuz great
alekx

good honesty.
Sami

these are interesting but one thing that doesn't make sense to me is the pictures of the little girl smoking, Yeah it's understandable that kids do what they see, but at the same time making a kid hold a lit cig so you can take her picture to prevent child smoking. But just thing about it, when that little girl gets older she might not thing to much about smoking she might think " oh well they used me in a smoking picture when i was younger, it didn't hurt me then so why would it hurt me now" Not meaning to offend anybody so don't freak out, I have 2 points of view.. But i do like the messages the photographer got through, very inspiring.
- Felicity
  
  the girl was not holding the cigarette. If you pay close attention, the arm with the cigarette is much wider than her other arm. The arm holding the cigarette was Photoshopped in.
jhpq

only gay guys can get hiv or what?
http://www.dealucks.com/modules/kohls Kohls Coupons

Wow, some of these are really wild, thanks for posting them!
Laurie

Thanks a bunch! Now ill have nightmares all night!!!!
- http://www.shoppinglouisvuitton.com louis vuitton
  
  only gay guys can get hiv or what?
http://www.ozdtasarim.com/blog fireRoxy

wow! great collection. thanks for sharing.
http://www.shoppinglouisvuitton.com louis vuitton

Thanks a bunch! Now ill have nightmares all night!!!!

Reply
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pacochun/ pacochun

verdaderamente impresionante, cada una de las piezas tiene lo suyo.
- http://www.inspiremonkey.com Aidan
  
  Truly impressive, each one of the pieces have his.
  
  This is the translation to English.
http://www.beauchampwebdesign.co.uk Beauchamp Web design

Very extensive collection, thanks for sharing them
kidsgetinghurtisfunny

that was some funny stuff it made me laugh so hard.
http://www.wk-netpublishing.de Christiana Kohn

Wow, einige davon sind recht heftig. Da mein Internet nicht so schnell ist, habe ich heute Stunden damit verbracht, so viele wie möglich anzugucken ...
- http://www.inspiremonkey.com Aidan
  
  Wow, Some of it are quite violent. Since my Internet is not so fast, I spent today hours to look at so many as possible...
  
  Here's the translation to English.
http://none Ngage

I think some of these are so disgusting that no one should see them...ever. Some of them are kind of clever and eye opening but most of them are just in poor taste if you ask me.
suresh

Some ads are thinkable and few are disgusting... Try to be design more ads that people will react about ......
http://haavardaurstad.com Haavard Aurstad

Aidan. WOW, what a list of extreme ads. The first one "Just liquid hand wash: Cockroaches" was pure shocking! Jaw drop.

This is the perfect example of what a good ad can trigger of feelings. Very powerful. Something we all should learn. Thanks for sharing this.

- Haavard
http://www.karmod.eu prefabricated

Fantastic post, this is a gem. To find these websites pain because the sites themselves do not make it easy to know if they are free,
too much

I found some of them so shocking I couldn't hang around to receive the message so a lot of them just don't work, for me at least and probably some others.
Kristina Berry

Great collection of ads and fantastic post, has played a huge part in my research for my 3rd year university dissertation on shock advertising. I'm currently researching into the effectiveness of shock advertising and need all the help i can get, if anyone knows of any great sites, has any opinions or views on the topic, knows of anyone in the field or anything that could help in anyway i would be forever grateful of the help :)
http://www.mypenfolio.com Craig

that seal one is unbelievable!!! shocking works! some great designs above, shame that we have to be so shocking to get the message accross! i like some of the humorus ones too :)
http://usingjquery.com usingjquery

quite disturbing!
http://n/a Stacey

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crazy_People, hats off to these daring, brilliant and creative minds
http://paulbaines.co.uk Paul Baines

It's like Banksy says, all the best new artists have gone into advertising...
love

that was nasty
http://yahoo.com kc

these wherre epic.i like the 1 when it said there is a dark side 2 sweetness.i especiallyy like the 1 that had the little girl poisoning the other little girls tea.talk about funny.:)
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that seal one is unbelievable!!! shocking works! some great designs above, shame that we have to be so shocking to get the message accross! i like some of the humorus ones too :)
http://briemarie.net Briemarie

I appreciated most of these.
But the baby seals one, and the babies feeding off a pig... just wow. I wanted to hurl.
But, being pregnant myself, I guess I'm just extra empathetic and sensitive to the situation right now.
ben

the cocaine one was so moving, its as if were all taught to say no because it can kill us, but actually were ignoring the people that die where the cocaine comes from...
http://jimsjournal.blogspot.com Jeeem

The American government thinks its people don't have the sense to make their own choices...so they make choices for them...seatbelt laws, censorship...

Our commercials are watered down and censored so we won't be offended. *u*K that! It's ads like these that get the point across to individuals steeped in a culture of living in the box.

I don't agree with the second one though....he's not a pervert. Hell, I've done that. I like the smell of pussy!

-Jeeem-
Russell

Why are all the gay advertisements in this article, whereas there are none in the 60 Humorous Advertisements That Will Tickle Your Bones article?
Derrick

All of these are great and thought provoking and it is a shame they are hidden from the people who need to see them most.
- Derrick
  
  except for the antigay ones, I am not gay, but I found these offensive and close minded especially as they did not mention that sleeping with a woman(natural God approved sexual relationships can cause STD'S and death as well). So I say F*ck the establishment and put them all on air or in mags, we are too desensitized.
  
  POWER TO THE PEOPLE AND F*CK THE OPPRESSORS
http://www.denimgeek.com Denim Geek

Some well designed ads here... Very extreme, but then again so is the subject matter in most cases, they get you thinking.
Stephen William Henkel

Wonderful ads, I was compelled to save many of the images. These are things that should be seen between television shows, or on posters, billboards. These are the ads that matter.
http://www.dusakabin.eu duşakabin

who you are into a relatively small about of space. In 2010, intro boxes will push its own boundaries. Instead of the boring hello, designers will find new pick-up lines. And, instead of the left-flanked intro block, 2010 will see boxes
- Stephen William Henkel
  
  You posted that in 2011, I'm confused.
http://fullmetalellie.viviti.com Ellie

Half of these I didn't even see the problem with. More so the ones that dealt with prevention, such as the child abuse ads. Those made sense and weren't overly/overtly offensive.

While they were touching/intense, I don't see how most of them are "controversial."

Except the ones with spiders. Omg, I hate spiders.
agreed

I loved these SO much. Most of them really made me stop and think.

I was disappointed, though, that so many gay advertisements made it into the list. The fact that representation of homosexuality is still categorized as "shocking" and "disturbing" - particularly representations in which a couple isn't engaging in so-called offensive sexual acts - is the shocking and disturning part. Would the Descriminatie.nl ad be labeled "shocking" and "disturbing" if it featured a heterosexual couple? Let's say the caucasian man on the right were holding hands with an african-american woman (or a woman of any other race, for that matter) and she were holding up a picture of a caucasian woman's face to cover her own. The ad would still have resonance - interracial biases are still prevalent today - but would it be labeled in the same way? I doubt it, so why does the original advertisement need to be thrown into the "shocking" bin?

This is especially important because the Descriminatie.nl ad in particular is attempting to promote tolerance and do away with discrimination. By making a spectacle of it and labeling it as "shocking," we're completely undermining the ad's intent.

I applaud the author's collection, but I would love to see some feedback as to why this particular ad made it onto the list.
http://www.facebook.com/HoboManAndy Hoboken

Wow.. Some of them may be over the top, but one thing that they don't do is let your mind stray from the point. They bring it to you hard and fast and out of no where. While some are extreme, the only reason I can see people getting upset about these ADs is if they like to believe that these thing just simply don't exist. Props to the people who made these. They are powerful and moving.
http://www.traverten.net traverten

image and you have saved me hours – I mean hours of hard work.
All I can say is thank you most sincerely for making my life so much easier today.
kb

love all of these. maybe if people see this stuff they will actualy get the point. The only thing is, I think the ones about AIDS and HIV shouldn't just show gay men all the time because AIDS and HIV effects EVERYONE and EVERYONE can contract it. Gay, lesbian, bi or straight. It doesn't matter.
http://www.guzelsozlerrehberi.com guzel sozler

of any other race, for that matter) and she were holding up a picture of a caucasian woman's face to cover her own. The ad would still have resonance - interracial biases are still prevalent today - but would it be labele
Pinlighter

The ads are shocking, and I remember one that isn't here. In the U.S. and I believe, the U.K., There was an ad showing the nude back of a girl, looking over her right shoulder suggestively at the camera, with the caption reading something like; "Can you believe I'm only 10?" I know it made for quite the controversy in the 70's when it appeared. I do not remember the magazine in which it appeared, but I believe that the idea was that the girl's mother was trying to get the eye of people in the movie biz so her daughter would become a star. Am I off my trolley, here, or did someone else see this disturbing ad?
http://blogvetica.com/portfolio Luke

I think I almost threw up.
Taylor

why is it that all of these std ads portray that you can only get stds if your a man and have sex with another man?
John

this is what's wrong with society today, everyone is so sensitive. Many of these ads are very effective and are not a big deal.
http://www.sogarab.com sogarab

Great collection.
Thanks for sharing.
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are lot of interesting and knowledgeable things for me. i will be a regular visitor of this site.
http://www.nepaliclassified.com bikalsh

Deadly collection of advertisements.Cold on spine n jaw dropping ads.
http://www.2.elesya.com 2. el eşya

Many of these ads are very effective and are not a big deal.
- http://www.prefabrikyapi.com/konteynerler/konteynerler.htm konteyner
  
  piezas de información unas con otras. Con ésto en mente, comenzó entonces a desarrollar fotomontajes que lograban darle una característica, que podía ser tanto buena como mala.
Jess

woahhh some gay and discusting ones in there but all true i feel really bad :/
http://www.devlethastaneleri24.com devlet hastaneleri

yellow, or give warmth like brown. The variations of the colour gives us the ability to convey different moods and impressions, this is what makes gold so versatile. Let’s look closer at how gold can be used in
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Photos That Look Like They’re Photoshopped But Are Not. These are the wonder creations of photographers who use their creativity with a different angle and approach to get the http://www.dogaltasmarket.com
Jestone Palate

wow! it was great!
- http://vova.vn NguyenBill
  
  Yes, it was great.
  I still have a special attention to the pic that a "children soldier" in the glass. It have been a human issue in Africa.
  Thank alot, Aidan
http://www.dunyaharitalari1.com harita

One has to wonder how the creative directors and designers came up with these concepts. What was the thought process and ratio
http://vauman.com Atom

Interesting list. Some are very cool. Gives you a moment to think about it.
http://www.kredi1.com kredi

Gives you a moment to think about it.
http://www.dusakabin.cc dusakabin

they r perfect adv.
http://www.blogthis.co.cc/ blogthis

omg very funny some
http://ocimnet.blogspot.com/ ocimnet

wow.. what a creativity!
Jennifer

All of this pictures are very good! Thanks for share!
http://www.jualpancing.com Toko Pancing Online

Wooow great ads
http://www.kabin.com kabin

i need it very much. thanks
kas

these are sick
http://featureimaging.com.au/ Alan, Food Photographer in Sydney

Wow what a great compilation. Some of this imagery really hits hard...
OceansHex

I came looking for a picture for my research essay on violence towards women in advertising and while I did not find anything that will work for the angle of my paper I was shocked at the advertisement of the little boy that was broken like a glass doll. I think that this one brought the strongest reaction out of me. I believe that while some of these are not as over the top as many would believe it is the simple ones that make the biggest impact.
http://www.gelinlikler.us gelinlikler

I really like the Arthritis ad. Some of these are too much for me, but that one was clear & effective without being over the top. Just turning on a faucet is like agreeing to grab a bunch of spikes. Every single time. That's pretty powerful.
su deposu

It’s look at these advertisements objectively with an open and analytical mind and appreciate the creativity that went into it. One has to wonder how the creative directors and designers came up with these concepts. What was the thought process and rational behind their radical ideas? Was there prior censorship and surveying done in a c
http://www.justwordpress.net steff

i love the: "if frogs go extinct, you'll notice" ad campaign! amazing idea and even greater realization! thanks
http://www.prefabriksantiye.net prefabrik şantiye

The political dynamics here imply a lot of uncertainty all the way to the end, but excess uncertainty is the one thing that could lead the market dynamics to turn sharply against us.
http://www.konteynerevler.com konteyner evler

But I guess, all they see is green - such that they just overlook it all
http://www.zgraph.com/ Zgraph

Wow. Some of these were disturbing but others were incredible! Very cool design!
http://www.riceroselaw.com/ Daytona Beach Lawyer

I agree with you Zgraph. I was disturbed by a good number of them.
http://www.wabbaly.com Wabbaly

Just wow! Some of this adverts are to strong for some target markets.
http://www.rmt4u.jp/games/arado.html アラド戦記

This is a great one..nice article, thanks for share with us… I learn a lot with your words.. thank for the post.
http://www.hotelparadisparis.com paris

nice ads, thanks ...
Www Fasle28

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http://www.batads.com Ryan

These were horrible.

I'd never market my business using morbid ads like this!
http://www.modischetasche.com/ Chanel Cambon

oh,it is so strange.
http://www.taschemode.com/ Gucci Totes

Dein Artikel ist gut wert Augapfel.
http://www.buypoolvacuumcleaner.com/ endy

the pictures make me amazed and surprised
http://yuenxdioses.wordpress.com/ ehatsumi

omg, the ads here are just amazing and at the same time, heart breaking. thanks for sharing!
Anna

It is obvious the new generation of sociopaths is here and They applaud Themselves.
http://crazy-cool-gadgets.blogspot.com GadgetsMag

I wasn't expecting images so intriguing. These type of shocking pictures will get people's attention. Great ideas...
http://www.artanproduction.com/ production

oh very great jobs...
http://www.infowarga.com/ Hot Information

really best extreme advertisements
http://mustified.com Mustified

Extremely interesting collection !
http://www.ownbusinesscards.net Own Business Cards

Some of these ads are ugly :)
http://stockfresh.com Peter

Wow, some of these are pretty intense. Did all of these actually appeared in a publication or on a billboard?
http://www.sanovnikopedija.com/ sanovnik

Amazing advesrtisements is here, i'm suprised, thanks a lot for sharing this!
http://2012wsop.com/ 2012 WSOP

These images are really scary at some point and some are a bit funny. But majority of these are really off the hook. I like images that's more pleasant and inspiring. 2012 WSOP
http://www.kulwantnagi.com Kulwant Nagi

OMG !! I m awed !!
Commercially Critic

I find that these tactics are often necessary for people to truly grasp the nature of things happening all around them. Even with it written in black and white for them (ie, smoking kills on the side of a pack of cigs), they choose to ignore it. I vote, yea, for drastic advertising.
http://www.ehowportal.com Mr.Bhavesh

Awesomee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.seousluge.com/ seo optimizacija

I'm pretty much suprised with this extreme advertisements, really awesome!!
peter

i found one more pic:

http://flic.kr/p/aRx9qg
http://www.primeadvancementgroup.com/ Web Designing Company USA

Hi this is jack Dowson I just read your blog. This is a great one..nice article, I agree with most all of these and read them all. .. thank for the post.
http://cippodesign.com CIPPO Design

Some of them are a little too extreme :/

But very good photo manipulation
eztany

Nice photos but all I get from the ads are "go mutilate your selves or somebody" I think it promotes the opposite of what they really want to promote.

You know what they say "if you want to promote peace create a peace campaign not an anti-war campaign"
Walter J. Dyer

Wow! Very creative ads. Entertaining visuals. I want to go through those again. That's what we call artistically done. Excellent!
http://thewebdesignbay.com Gustavs Jurisons

Picture says 1000 words - these advertisements really approve that.
All of these are great examples and hopefully there will be more. 10/10
http://samifamilybond.com/vb/member.php?u=288 arrollurl

Tnx ..
http://www.croatia-photo.net Croatia foro

I'm pretty much suprised with this extreme photos , really like some ideas...
Hung Viet

Please send me all the ads from this site, so i can learn from the first time. thanks
http://www.jocuricumasini.comze.com Kevin J

I didn't expect the pictures to be with such a powerful impact.The work deserves some cheers.
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Excellent photos is here. I want to thank you for this informative post. I will bookmark this site and visit again..
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http://chrisfrees.com Chris

Wow, those gay ones are just disgusting! ):
http://www.travelcultures.com/ Rosaria Lucchesi

OMG, some of images made me shocked!
http://www.burberryhandbagsshoesoutlet2012.com Burberry Shoes

what you have said in this article has deeply impressed me and i wish you can write more about this subject.
Sakhile Koaho

WOW! WISH WE HAD SUCH EFFECTIVE ADS IN SOUTH AFRICA...
http://www.horoskopomanija.com/ Horoskop

This advertisements is really awesome, i'm very very suprised with this pictures. I must thank you a lot for this!
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I will bookmark this site and visit again. It is very informative. Thanks for sharing.
http://howtogivehead.biz/ Jack

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment.
I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog, I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Steve

Most of these - well let's be honest.. mostly they are revolting!

That's the problem with Advertising nowadays.. it seems we are obsessed with shock value.

It has always - ALWAYS been harder to create good creative that is funny, clever and beautiful to behold.
Alas the computer has given birth to thousands who can manipulate - but unfortunately that hinders creativity.

Much easier to make horror than it is to make beauty!
markavrely

I congratulate, it seems magnivicent idea to me is
steveborman

And for an indefinite period is not far away :)
http://www.facebookthemes.info Bob Crosby

Awesome GREAT POST
Thapa

Really Gr8 Job!!!
http://melliris.com HohningJohn

Although some of these campaigns are way over the edge, they achieve their purpose: to be remembered. Thanks for the collection
Divyashree Mangalorkar

Amazing Print Ads. Brilliant quality, Ideation, Creativity which also made sense. Very Impactful. Hits it right!
https://www.facebook.com/tesadoromer ROMER TESADO

very NICE!!!for sure these ads exactly brought the messages to their audiences very well...want to see more.
https://www.facebook.com/tesadoromer ROMER TESADO

very nice...
ROMER TESADO

nice...very nice!!!
http://www.fun2video.com/ Funny Pictures and Jokes

I like these fresh ideas and creativity in ads. Thumbs up
http://slowbuddy.com Sohaib

Shocking for me. especially the child face with nail.

I must say, this post has really challenged my mind.
http://whichcellular.com CellularW

The one with Amy and the dog is really naughty. Too bad...
http://www.fahaddesigns.com Fahad

Awesomee!