The article discusses 10 banned commercials that were deemed too controversial or insensitive for public viewing. These ads include:
1. Hyundai's "Pipe Job" ad, which used a suicidal theme to promote their environmentally-friendly car.
2. Red Bull's "Red Bull gives you wings" ad, which made light of the Titanic disaster.
3. Wrigley's "Dog Breath" ad, which featured a man vomiting a dog.
4. Mountain Dew's "Felicia the Goat" ad, which was accused of being racist and misogynistic.
5. McDonald's "Signs" ad, which was deemed insensitive for referencing tragic events like 9/11.
6. Ashley Madison's "Looking for someone other than my wife" ad, which promoted infidelity and was banned in Australia.
7. Kiyomi's laundry detergent ad, which featured a black man being washed and turned into a white Asian man.
8. Snickers' "Kiss" ad, which was deemed homophobic.
9. Booking.com's "Booking Right" ad, which used a swear-word substitute and was deemed unsuitable for family audiences.
10. Groupon's "Tibet" ad, which was accused of being insensitive to Tibetan refugees.
These ads demonstrate how companies can misstep in their advertising efforts, leading to public backlash and damage to their reputation.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. In 2013, Hyundai aired a 60-second commercial in the UK for their environmentally-friendly ix35 car, but it was later pulled due to controversy over its depiction of a man attempting to commit suicide.
2. The commercial was aired without Hyundai's permission for one day to gather feedback from viewers.
3. The ad used a man's attempted suicide as a way to communicate that the car's emissions were safe to breathe.
4. The ad was widely criticized and damaged Hyundai's reputation.
5. In 2013, Red Bull aired a cartoon commercial that referenced the Titanic disaster, which killed over 1,500 people.
6. The ad was criticized for making light of the tragedy and was eventually pulled.
7. The British Advertising Standards Authority decided not to investigate the ad, but Red Bull eventually settled a lawsuit in 2014 for falsely advertising that their energy drink would give people "wings".
8. In 2003, Wrigley's canceled the airing of their commercial for the new Excite brand of gum, which featured a man vomiting an entire dog.
9. The ad was widely criticized for being disgusting and nauseating, and was eventually pulled.
10. In 2013, Mountain Dew released a trilogy of commercials featuring an aggressive talking goat that assaulted a waitress and escaped from the police.
11. The ads were criticized for being racist and misogynistic, and were eventually pulled.
12. Mountain Dew apologized for the ads, but the company's partner, Tyler the Creator, was not sorry and said he would have left the ads up if it were up to him.
13. In 2015, McDonald's aired a commercial that featured a series of photographs of their sign marquees with congratulatory and respectful messages.
14. The ad was criticized for being tasteless and shameless, and was eventually pulled.
15. In 2015, Ashley Madison, an online dating service, aired a commercial that featured a man singing about wanting to cheat on his wife.
16. The ad was criticized for being sexist and promoting infidelity, and was eventually banned in Australia.
17. In 2016, Kiyomi laundry detergent aired a commercial in China that depicted a black man being washed and turned into a pale white Asian man.
18. The ad was widely criticized for being racist, and was eventually pulled.
19. In 2007, Snickers aired a commercial during the Super Bowl that featured two mechanics who kissed and then questioned their manliness.
20. The ad was criticized for being homophobic, and was eventually pulled.
21. In 2015, Booking.com aired a commercial that featured a series of customers arriving at their vacation hotels and finding that they had chosen well.
22. The ad was criticized for being scheduled to air in cinemas before kids' movies and on television during family programs.
23. In 2011, Groupon aired a commercial during the Super Bowl that featured actor Timothy Hutton speaking about the Tibetan people and their culture.
24. The ad was criticized for being insensitive and insulting to Tibetan refugees, and was eventually pulled.
25. Groupon issued a formal apology for the ad and pulled it due to backlash from offended social media users.