Sendon, Samuel II. T.

BSBA MM2A
Camarines Norte State College

December 6, 2016
Principles of Advertising and
Promotion
Prof. G. Naval

ASSIGNMENT II. UNETHICAL ADVERTISEMENTS

A. Banned in the US
1. Blackberry Shoots Apple1
This, shall we say, confrontational BlackBerry Storm ad by NY ad agency Guava
has been making the rounds today, depicting a blackberry "bullet" taking a violent
path through a familiar-seeming piece of fruit. An anonymous source told us that
RIM considered it but eventually got cold feet -- and we can understand why.
Nonetheless, it's an awesome bit of smack.
2. American Apparel2
"Made in Bangladesh" ad. In this ad the brand is not referring to the jeans but to the
model. This caused stir in 2014 but the company explained that the idea behind
this was to raise awareness about unfair labor practices towards garment workers
in Bangladesh. However, the decision remained unchanged.
3. Racist Ad by Sony3 - Playstation Portable, White is Coming (with photo of white
womans superiority over black woman)
Sony really messed up with this ad campaign. Maybe they were both honest mistakes,
but their ads might as well have read Were Racists! Needless to say, consumers
were not impressed, and the ads were removed. What can you learn? Be careful
using race as a metaphor. Chances are customers will read it as a metaphor for
we discriminate.
From the 12 Offensive Ads You Shouldnt Mimic Under any Circumstances4

1 https://www.engadget.com/2009/02/26/the-blackberry-storm-ad-thatmight-have-been/
2 http://glosty.co/article/615022152188/10-fashion-ads-that-crossedthe-line-and-got-banned
3 https://www.qualitylogoproducts.com/blog/12-offensiveadvertisements/
4 https://www.qualitylogoproducts.com/blog/12-offensiveadvertisements/

Sendon, Samuel II. T.

BSBA MM2A
Camarines Norte State College

December 6, 2016
Principles of Advertising and
Promotion
Prof. G. Naval

4. Bacardi Breezers Get your hands on the hotness-boosting accessory now: An

Ugly Girlfriend showing a Fat Woman with Eyeglasses.
5. Dove ad showing a Before (Black Woman) and After (White Woman) setting.
6. DIESELs BE STUPID campaign, showing a photo of two half-naked girls on a
bed, and a tag line Youll Spend More Time with Your Boss
7. Insulting Message from PETA saying Save the Whales, Lost the Blubber: Go
Vegetarian slightly showing the left side of an obese womans back, on the right
side of the billboard.
From Top 9 Sexiest Superbowl Commercials of All Time5
8. Sketchers False Claims cost them to lose $40Million in Settlements
9. Ahsley Madisons TV Commecial with theme Life is short, have an affair
10. Snickers Commercial banned for being too sexy
B. Banned in the Philippines
From 11 Controversial and Banned Filipino Advertisements6
1. KFCs #ChickenSad Hashtag Ad (2014) when Jollibee had a chicken crisis
citing KFC as being opportunistic
2. EQ Diapers Lapu-lapu commercial (2013) said to be a mockery and distortion
of history
3. Colt 45s Vava-Vroom Real Man Promo (2010) where The Philippine
Commission on Women blasts Asia Brewery for reducing women to mere
commodities
4. McDonalds Dada Commercial (2002) where the father is handing out French
Fries under the table to his daughter, signifying the use of bribery and dishonesty.
5. Nice Day! Coffee Commercial (2014) for using naked female body to promote
coffee.
5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quPPHopaCxw
6 http://www.filipiknow.net/controversial-advertisements-in-thephilippines/

Sendon, Samuel II. T.

BSBA MM2A
Camarines Norte State College

December 6, 2016
Principles of Advertising and
Promotion
Prof. G. Naval

From 10 Ads that Created Controversy7

6. DOVE CAMPAIGN FOR TRUE BEAUTY
What it wants to say: This worldwide marketing campaign, which was launched in
2004, wanted women to be comfortable and feel beautiful in their own skin. It
encouraged the public to participate by asking them what they thought of the
models featured in the posters and billboards.
The opposite effect: Lets face it, a number of Pinoys have unbelieveable standards of
beauty even if they themselves arent beautiful. The ads may have been
enlightened but not everyone else was open to the idea of calling someone who
didnt have a well-endowed chest area or anyone who was Rubenesque as
"beautiful." (Shame on them!)
Verdict: The ad wanted to redefine the concept of beauty. Unfortunately, the public
was not ready for that. Bottom line: Yes, the more enlightened crowd got this ad
campaign, but narrow-minded people didnt. The ads intent was not
controversial, it was only its effect on the narrow-minded populace that created
the "controversial buzz."
7. BAYANTEL - "SATISFACTION GUARANTEE" AD
What it wants to say: In 2006, the telecommunications firm wanted to tell everyone
that they get the job done. They attempted to be cool in this endeavor.
The opposite effect: The look on the womans face in the billboard makes people
think that its not just her phone line thats making her...er...happy. It doesnt help
that theres some sort of makeshift moon behind her. People who saw this
billboard were probably wondering if Bayantel was engaged in "steamy" business
ventures.
Verdict: If youre a telecommunications firm, do you really a need to sex up your ads?
Sure, it gets attention...but its got absolutely nothing to do with what youre
selling. Bayantel probably realized this so the billboard was taken down before a
protest could be organized against it.
8. BENCH PHILIPPINE VOLCANOES BENCH BODY BILLBOARDS
What it wants to say: The ad wanted to showcase Bench Body underwear and
encourage people "throw their support" behind the countrys rugby team, the
7 http://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/51324/10-ads-that-createdcontroversy

Sendon, Samuel II. T.

BSBA MM2A
Camarines Norte State College

December 6, 2016
Principles of Advertising and
Promotion
Prof. G. Naval

Philippine Volcanoes. For maximum exposure, the billboards were set up along
EDSA-Guadalupe.
The opposite effect: The people definitely stared at the billboards, but it wasnt clear
if they were focusing on the nifty Bench Body undies or the members of the
rugby team who served as the models for the undies. There were those who
appreciated the eye candy.
Verdict: There were also others like Mandaluyong City Mayor Benhur Abalos, who
said the sight of the barely-dressed Volcanoes players would disturb the children
who saw them.
9. BLOCK AND WHITE "SKATER GIRL" AD
What it wants to say: Most Pinay girls want their skin to be white because they think
thats more desirable. The ad dramatized this by showing two girls dragging
giving their tanned friend, who loves to skate, a makeover. That, of course,
includes applying the whitening lotion.
The opposite effect: The ad had a cheerful vibe but its message irked a lot of people.
Whats wrong with being tan anyway?
Verdict: The ad was just giving its target audience what it wanted. Lets face it,
whitening products are hot in this country.
10. DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM - "PILIPINAS KAY GANDA" AD CAMPAIGN
What it wants to say: Unveiled in 2010, the ad campaign was banking on the beauty
of the Philippines to attract more tourists. The upbeat slogan was complemented
by a funky logo that was supposed to convey playfulness.
The opposite effect: Netizens slammed the campaign and things got ugly really fast.
For starters, they didnt like the slogan. Then, they got really mad when it was
revealed that the campaign logo was reminiscent of the logo used by Poland in
their own tourism campaign.
Verdict: To be fair, the ad wasnt that bad. Then again, it also wasnt that original. An
ABS-CBNNews.com report noted: "Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim admitted to
rushing the Pilipinas Kay Ganda campaign, a move that led to widespread
criticisms and the eventual scrapping of the new slogan by no less than President
Benigno Noynoy Aquino III." Lim himself soon resigned from his post.