NathanGAP’s ‘Passive Racism’ Ad
In 2016, an ad for Gap featured an African American girl used as an arm’s rest by an older white girl. People though this was “passive racism.” The brand removed this image with a statement: “As a brand with a proud 46-year history of championing diversity and inclusivity, we appreciate the conversation that has taken place and are sorry to anyone we’ve offended. This GapKids campaign highlights true stories of talented girls who are celebrating creative self-expression and sharing their messages of empowerment.”
Mattress Store’s 9/11 Joke
A San Antonio mattress store held a “Twin Towers Sale” on the anniversary of 9/11 back in 2016. All of their products were reduced to the price of their twin mattresses. Their ad showed the mattresses as the twin towers, getting knocked down as well. This was obviously not acceptable and it led to the store getting shut down for a week. It is clear from this that it will never be okay to make jokes about 9/11.
Thai Skincare’s Whitening Ad
The popular Thai skincare company, Seoul Secret released a 50-second video in 2016 with the tagline“white makes you win”. This was meant for their skin-whitening pills. Cris Horwang who is a Thai celeb starred in the ad and said: “If I stop taking care of myself, everything I have worked for, the whiteness I have invested in, may be lost.” The company soon left an apology letter as well on their Facebook site: “Our company did not have any intention to convey discriminatory or racist messages.”
Intel’s Ad Involving Slavery Connotations
There was an ad to promote the Intel Core 2 Duo processor back in the year 2007. The ad intended to show the speed of the processor, using black sprinters to depict them. Intel soon came up with an apology saying, “Unfortunately, our execution did not deliver our intended message and in fact proved to be insensitive and insulting.”
World Wildlife Fund Released A Controversial 9/11 Ad
DDB Brazil made an advertising campaign for World Wildlife Fund in 2009 that left many astonished. This ad compared the Indian Ocean tsunami death numbers with the 9/11 terrorist attack victims. For what? To show that nature is truly powerful. This idea should have never become a completed project because it is clearly so tone-deaf on so many levels.
Ad For Groupon & The Tibetan Oppression
In the 2011 Super Bowl, Groupon managed to enrage a lot of viewers. Actor Timothy Hutton was cast in the ad that closely resembled the Save the Children ads. The actor gave a narration, “The people of Tibet are in trouble; their very culture is in jeopardy.” His statement then turned into a joke, shocking everyone. Hutton also said Tibetans “whip up an amazing fish curry” followed by an offer of good food deals promoting Groupon. HOW and WHY?!!!