Controversy in advertising is really nothing new, and if the controversy is intentional, the purpose is to be hard-hitting and get a point across in a harsh and direct manner.
Some advertisers use images to hit hard, some use words, which is a more subtle way as the image is usually not in the least offensive, so you have to stop and read the ad to see the controversy.
Cultural differences mean that some adverts that appear controversial or offensive to you, may not offend someone from a very different cultural background.So there will, no doubt, be advertisements in this showcase that you find controversial, offensive, rude or in very bad taste, and others that will not affect your moral senses whatsoever – it is going to depend very much on your culture.
We previously featured 80 such advertisements in our article 80 Extreme Advertisements That Will Challenge Your Mind and today we bring you 60+ more adverts from around the globe that will definitely challenge your mind and make you think… again!
Extreme and Controversial Adverts
Keimling Vegetarian Restaurant Chain
Monster.com: Wrong Job, Barber
French Aids Awareness: Scorpion
Children and Adolescents Reference Center: Peter
CONAC Chilean Corporation Against Cancer: Brown
Adam le Adam, Community For The Elderly: Hangman’s Noose
Brita Water Filtration Pitchers: Brunette
Anything & Whatever Soft Drinks: Farm
Ligue Internationale Contrele Racisme et Lantisemitisme: Cleaning Lady
PIA! (Peace in Action): Chad T-Shirt
Australian Mitochondrial Disease Foundation: Stay in Bed Day: Bed
Deutscher Tierschutz Bund e.V.: Animal Rights, Pig
Just Liquid Hand Wash: Maggots
Bucharest Traffic Police: Meet New People, Stretcher
Action Group for World Solidarity: Talent
CPD Prevention and Citizenship: Grave
Luxor Hot Tubs & Saunas: KKK Vs Afro
Amnesty International: Swimming
Amnesty International: Weight Lifting
Association de Defence Contre le Tabac: Girl
International Society for Human Rights: Burka
Backerei Troller: Really Good Bread
Antonio Federici Ice Cream: We Believe in Salivation http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/antonio_federici_ice_cream_we_believe_in_salivation
Antonio Federici Ice Cream: Immaculately Conceived
Eshe Streetwear: Brainwashin’ Brian
IP Press Men’s Magazine: Kennedy Assassination
Conclusion
Were you stunned by many of these advertisements, or did you find most of them quite acceptable? There is no doubt that there are certain subjects that are used to shock, such as hard-hitting adverts including children, animals, historical characters such as Hitler, sex, etc. There are also some advertisers who nearly always use shock tactics to get their point across, such as Amnesty International, and PlayStation 2 went through a shocking-ad campaign.
Please share your thoughts and opinions with us – let us know which of these adverts affected you most and which you found to be very mild advertising.
