A Quick Look at Controversial Advertising

José A. Ferrón

What is Controversial Advertising?

“ A type of advertising designed principally to break through theadvertising clutter to captureattention and create buzz, and also toattract an audience to a certain brandor bring awareness to a certain public service issue, health issue, cause, goods or services”

Waller (2003)

TYPES OF CONTROVERSIAL ADVERTISEMENTS

Controversial Products:

Gender/Sex Related Products (e.g. condoms, female contraceptives, underwear, feminine hygiene products, etc.)

Social/Political Groups (e.g. charities, political parties, religious groups, racially extreme groups, etc.)

Controversial Execution:

Some advertisements are executed in such a manner that they evoke public sentiments or some controversy

POSITIVE

Gets word of mouth

Catches the public imagination

Any publicity is good publicity philosophy

NEGATIVE

The campaign overrides the product

The initial buzz has to be backed by a Big idea or even more controversial stuff

If the advertisement breaks the rules, the advertiser must withdraw or amend it

Controversial Banned Ad

XENOPHOBIC ?

WOMEN USED AS SEXUAL OBJECTS…

BUT...WHAT ABOUT MEN?

INTERNET ADVERTISING

Controversial, but not obscene…

Advertising Agency: M&C Saatchi, Auckland, New ZealandArt Director: James Bowman

St. Matthew-in-the-city Anglican Church Auckland, New Zealand

“We on the Death Row” Campaign - Benetton-

26 photographs of people on death row with their names, ages and execution day over the words “sentenced to death”

Regulations of the Advertising Industry in Ireland

Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland

Independent

Self-Regulatory

Financed by the Advertising Industry

www.asai.ie

The Code of Standards for Advertising

The Code, which is based on the principles established by the International Chamber of Commerce, requires that all marketing communications:

should be legal, decent, honest and truthful

should be prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and society

should respect the principles of fair competition generally accepted in business.

IADT’S CONTROVERSIAL AD

IN CONCLUSION...

Impact

Both positive and negative results

Depends on feelings, believes , morals, etc of those who see the advertisement

Controversial does not always means offensive

Any publicity is good publicity