These were not well received by the audience.

Super Bowl is more than just football!

Millions of viewers tune in to watch the commercials, which air between the games. Brands invest huge amounts of money not only to secure airtime, but also to ensure their commercials are memorable.

Some ads are so emotional that they leave viewers feeling, but others make an impression. Over the years, there have been many ads that were deemed controversial by viewers. Even though companies spend millions to broadcast their ads, they end up being pulled from the air after each game.

These are the most controversial ads that were shown during the Super Bowl.

1. Holiday Inn: Class Reunion

Holiday Inn's 1997 ad promoted their $1 billion renovation project. However, they chose to make it controversial. A Super Bowl commercial featured a woman walking into a reunion of high school seniors while a narrator spoke about her plastic surgery. The woman in the commercial was transgender. She was compared to the hotel's renovations by comparing her gender reassignment surgery. Shortly thereafter, the ad was dropped.

"We are sorry that the ad offended some people. This was not our intention. Holiday Inn executive John Sweetwood stated in a statement that he has decided to stop any future broadcasts of the Super Bowl ads.

2. Manly Snickers

The 2007 Snickers commercial was not well received by the LGBTQ+ community. The ad shows two men sharing a Mars candy bar and accidentally kissing. The men appear embarrassed and respond immediately by saying "manly" to the situation. You can also see videos of Super Bowl players reacting to the kiss on the website.

GLAAD and the Human Rights Campaign both stated that the commercial encouraged bullying and homophobia. It was eventually removed from television and online.

Joe Solmonese, president of Human Rights Campaign, stated that this type of jeering by professional athletes at the sight of two men kissing fuels anti-gay bullying.

3. FedEx "Wizard of Oz”

FedEx's Super Bowl advertisement in 2000 was banned because it promoted drug use. The FedEx Super Bowl commercial was inspired from "The Wizard of Oz". It featured Munchkins who received helium balloons delivered by FedEx. They inhaled the balloons to keep their voices high. After receiving complaints about the commercial, FedEx decided to remove it.

4. Just For Feet: Kenyan Runner

A 1999 Super Bowl commercial by Just For Feet, a shoe store, was widely condemned as racist. The ad featured a naked Kenyan runner being chased by a car full of white men. They forced him to wear shoes after drugging him. After the commercial was criticized, Just For Feet filed a lawsuit against Saatchi & Saatchi. They eventually lost.

5. Salesgenie.com: Talking Pandas

Salesgenie.com ran an advertisement during the 2008 Super Bowl featuring a pair talking pandas. The ad featured pandas speaking in exaggerated Chinese accents, which was offensive to some viewers. InfoUSA, the parent company of the pandas, pulled the ad and apologized.

"We never imagined anyone would be offended. The pandas are Chinese. They don't speak German. Vinod Gupta, chief executive of InfoUSA, told the NY Times that he has apologized to anyone who offended me.

6. Skechers: Dog Racing

Skechers' Super Bowl 2012 commercial was not well received by animal lovers. The commercial was actually withdrawn from the air after animal lovers started a petition. The commercial that featured dogs racing was aired, but it received a lot of backlash by animal rights groups.

Skechers' was accused of encouraging dog racing. However, they defended the commercial and stated that it was not their intention. Gary Patrick, Skechers' executive, stated in a letter that they follow the Humane Society guidelines and don't promote dog racing.

7. Groupon: Tibet

Timothy Hutton was the star of Groupon's 2011 commercial. It was meant to be a play upon a PSA-style advertisement. The commercial compared people joining together to support a charity to Groupon users coming together to find great deals on Groupon. Timothy can be heard talking about the Tibetan struggle before he explains how he got a deal at the Tibetan restaurant.

"The Tibetan people are in trouble. Their culture is under threat. They still make an incredible fish curry. And since we bought Groupon.com for 200, each of us will get $30 worth of Tibetan food at Himalayan Restaurant Chicago. Timothy agreed.

Social media backlash was strong with many saying that the commercial trivialized Tibetans' "suffering" and "oppression" under Chinese rule. Andrew Mason, CEO of Groupon, stated that the commercial was a spoof and that the site was actively raising funds for Tibetans.

8. Ram Trucks: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Ram Trucks used a portion from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s "Drum Major Instinct” sermon in 2018 to promote the notion that their Ram trucks were "built to serve." It was criticized for using Dr. King’s words, and it raised questions about whether his family approves of the advertisement. The sermon's overarching message was anti-capitalist and even criticised car ads.

9. Dodge the Will

Dodge's Super Bowl 2010 commercial featured a group of men complaining, many of which were directed at their wives. It was implied that Dodge Chargers are the reason men will put up with such incontinences. For the misogynistic advertisement, Dodge Charger received backlash.

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Title: The 9 Most Controversial Super Bowl Commercials
Sourced From: toofab.com/2023/02/12/most-controversial-super-bowl-commercials/
Published Date: Sun, 12 Feb 2023 14:00:36 +0000

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