Top 10 Controversial Commercials That Didn't Get Banned

#10: Body Wash Ad (2017) Dove

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Poor editing is all that is needed to transform a well-meaning project into a fiercely detested advert lambasted for being racially insensitive. As part of Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign, a decade long movement promoting a positive body image and diversity, 2017's ad's good intentions are completely undermined by a staggering lack of foresight, especially since the company had been involved in a similar controversy in 2014. Unsurprisingly, Dove received a great deal of flak and the ad was quickly labeled as racist, prompting the company to withdraw the commercial and issue an apology.

#9: “Bob Johnson” Super Bowl XXXI Ad (1997) Holiday Inn

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Despite the substantial monetary investment required to purchase a Super Bowl ad slot, the appeal of broadcasting to at least 70 million viewers is understandably tempting. Off all possible brands, Holiday Inn is responsible for producing one of the sporting event's most confusing commercials. In order to promote its renovation project, Holiday Inn compares its prospective transformation to that of a transgender woman. Gender awareness has come a long way since 1997, but "Bob Johnson" did not need social media to attract a sea of complaints that promptly convinced Holiday Inn to pull the ad.

#8: “Live for Now” Ad (2017) Pepsi

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Once in a while, an ad comes along that misses the mark so spectacularly, the fact anyone ever thought it was a good idea seems almost unbelievable. Appearing to take inspiration from the Black Lives Matter movement, Pepsi's commercial stars Kendall Jenner as a model who cultivates peace through the power of sugar-filled carbonated drinks. Closing on a message of solidarity, Pepsi's "Live for Now" was heavily criticized for seemingly attempting to profit off an important social movement. While the company presumably had less scummy intentions, Pepsi did succeed in uniting people over a mutual hatred for this ad.

#7: “Test Baby” Super Bowl XLV Ad (2011) HomeAway

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With the Super Bowl containing dozens upon dozens of commercials, companies must find a way to stand out from the crowd. For better or worse, HomeAway's "Test Baby" campaign was definitely among the least forgettable ads to air during 2011's event. Even if the baby is obviously a doll, there is just something off-putting about watching a toddler – fake or otherwise – slam into a glass panel. HomeAway's campaign sought to highlight the safety benefits of living in a more spacial rental, but the chosen imagery kind of overshadows any point the advert tries to make. When it comes to babies and animals, commercials should always tread carefully.

#6: “Because Innocence is Sexier Than You Think” Ad (1975) Love’s Baby Soft

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Society has changed considerably since the mid-'70s, so much so, it almost feels unfair to target a commercial from such a different era. Even if not viewed through modern lenses, Love's Baby Soft trying to sell its perfume by correlating innocence with sex appears designed solely to trigger a shudder of disgust. If this amounted to only a slogan, it would be one thing; however, Love's Baby Soft's commercials went the extra mile by babyfying their models. Are these commercials meant to be cutesy or seductive? Regardless of the intent, these ads are mostly creepy.

#5: “Make Safe Happen” Super Bowl XLIX Ad (2015) Nationwide Insurance

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For 2015's Super Bowl, Nationwide took a page from M. Night Shymalan's book and aired a commercial with a twist ending. According to a statement released as a response to the backlash garnered by the advert, the Insurance company only sought to raise awareness about children deaths caused by preventable home accidents. Even if Nationwide's intentions were honorable, the advert itself is still emotionally manipulative and way too depressing for a spot during the Super Bowl. While there is a time and a place for everything; dead children and a Patriots versus Seahawks match do not mesh all that well.

With only 30 seconds to sell a product, story-driven commercials frequently turn to stereotypes as a way to quickly establish their characters. Around 47 years after Mickey Rooney's infamous turn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's," Salesgenie somehow failed to foresee that pairing animated pandas with over-the-top Chinese accents may cause a bit of a stir. Along with pissing off plenty of people, the advert does a pretty terrible job of selling a company that specializes in helping other businesses grow. The "Pandas" advert was eventually taken out of rotation because, of course, it was.

In 2011, a record-breaking 110 million people tuned in to watch the Green Bay Packers defeat the Pittsburg Steelers. That same audience also bore witness to a Groupon commercial that missed the mark so thoroughly, the advert might as well have been issued by a competitor. As part of a series of videos poking fun at celebrity-endorsed adverts, the "Tibet" entry took things about a hundred steps too far, resulting in an unfunny commercial that appears to trivialize a tragic situation. The ad was such a spectacular disaster, Groupon declined to air another Super Bowl commercial until 2018.

Even if Mountain Dew and Tyler, the Creator's trilogy about a talking goat with a propensity for violence is almost too absurd to take seriously, that did not stop the series' final advert from being identified as racist. After assaulting a waitress in the first commercial, Felicia the Goat is arrested and placed into a line-up consisting of solely black suspects. The line-up consists of members of hip-hop collective Odd Future and a couple of Tyler’s friends, so this advert about a misbehaving goat was probably not trying to spark a conversation about racial profiling. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few dishonorable mentions. “Umbilical Cord” Ad (2017) Skittles Laundry Detergent Ad (2016) Qiaobi Detergent “Kiss” Ad (2007) Snickers

Nowadays, Apple has pretty much perfected the art of advertising; however, the company was still attempting to find its voice during the mid-'80s. Following the previous year's iconic advert inspired by George Orwell's "1984," Apple tried to recapture lightning in a bottle with another incredibly grim piece called "Lemmings." Along with advertising a product that would never hit shelves, "Lemmings" basically presents Apple's potential consumers as mindless drones who blindly cause their own demise. Shockingly, insulting your customers is not a great marketing strategy and Apple is lucky this advert did not inadvertently lead the entire brand off a cliff.