Controversial Marketing Strategies that worked beautifully
They might love, they might hate you, but they can't ignore you!
Yes, that's how controversy works. And that's how controversy is used in marketing. Controversy isn't an unintended or even an unwanted phenomenon, especially when it comes to marketing. It's a potent tool that has been used by advertisers and marketers to grab the eyeballs and drive more attention to their content.
You might have seen several ads that you found distasteful or even outrageous. And, that’s the trick! Most of you would still remember having watched an offensive advertisement on YouTube a couple of years ago and the way it disgusted you is still fresh in your memory.
Controversy isn’t a bad thing, especially if your intent is to simply get traction and more attention. It’s a potent weapon used by marketers, both on mass media and social media, and, as a matter of fact, the reachability of social media offers a more lucrative avenue for the markets to use controversy.
There are several ways marketers have generated controversy with their content. These range from race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, and even disability.
The very fact that controversial ads have been successful is evident from the fact that a lot has been said and written about them and although many of these controversial contents are years old, they still remain fresh in the memory of those who have had access to them. It shows that controversial marketing campaigns can be effective in grabbing the attention and keeping the ads in the limelight for a very long time. Also, the increasing penetration of social media has blurred the lines between what people get to watch on TV and what’s featured in their search results on the internet. If you’ve watched it on TV once, you can watch it ten times on YouTube, and it adds more fuel to the fire of controversy.
Let’s take a look at some of these controversial ads that have been around for a while and how people have reacted to them.
#1. The 2015 Super Bowl commercial of Carl’s Jr.
Carl’s Jr. is an American fast-food restaurant chain. But, that’s not all it’s known for. The company is quite famous for running controversial ad campaigns, most of which feature semi-naked women selling you burgers. And, it’s exactly what its Super Bowl commercial did when it featured Charlotte McKinney sans clothes. The ad was considered obnoxious by a whopping 52% of the viewers surveyed by Ameritest.
But that didn’t hamper its popularity. Rather, it only made the ad more popular. Staggeringly Popular! The ad garnered over 2.5 billion social media impressions before its Super Bowl run, after which the impressions soared to 4 billion. The CEO of Carl’s Andrew Puzder not only defended the controversial ad but also called it the right strategy to make the brand more attractive.
It proves that controversy has value, especially in the modern day world of social media likes, shares, and even dislikes.
#2. The 2015 Super Bowl commercial of Nationwide Insurance
Carl’s Jr. wasn’t the only offensive ad featured during 2015’s Super Bowl. Nationwide Insurance was also marred by controversy regarding its ad showing a little boy talking about the various things he wouldn’t be able to do in his life.
In the end, it’s revealed that the boy’s dead and the advertisement was meant to increase the awareness of insurance as a measure of safety, especially for kids. The ad was criticised for being too stark and dark for an event like Super Bowl resulting in broad criticism on social media. There were over 230,000 social media mentions regarding this advertisement on the very day of Super Bowl and over 64% of them were negative.
However, unlike Carl’s Jr., where the CEO defended its ad, Nationwide’s CEO Matt Jauchius resigned in the wake of the controversy. But, it doesn’t undermine the importance of controversy for marketers. There are numerous controversial advertisements still quite popular on social and mass media, and there aren’t many instances of the top managers quitting post an advertising controversy.
#3. The Autocomplete Truth – the United Nation Women
If you thought controversial ads are a forte of private companies seeking to increase profits at the cost of morality, then you are grossly mistaken. Here’s an example of how the UN used a controversial ad to create awareness of the discrimination and exploitation faced by women. This 2013 ad was the most shared ad in 2013 and displayed a woman’s photograph with a Google Search Bar showing various autocomplete options.
The ad showed what autocomplete options will be displayed as soon as someone types “Women cannot”. Along with the various autocomplete suggestions that included “women cannot drive” and “women cannot be bishops” to “women cannot speak in church”, the ad was also displayed a sentence below the search box that read “women cannot accept the way things are”.
The advertisement showed a grim reality of how women continue to suffer despite it being the second decade of the 21st century. The commercial used controversy in a thought provoking manner.
Why are controversial ads successful?
These are just a few of the examples of controversial ads. The social media and even the traditional media such as print and TV have always had their share of controversial advertisements. So, the question is, what makes these ads tick?
The answer is simple! People like controversy and even if it’s something they condemn, the truth is they are drawn towards it. It doesn’t always have to be a good experience to remain etched in their memories. Even a shocking incident is remembered for a very long time. Experienced marketers understand it and use it to their advantage.
Having said that, it doesn’t mean that a controversial marketing strategy should always be contrasting to the general perception of morality and ethics.
The UN ad on women has proven that controversy can be used not just to create an outrage. If used efficiently, it can be used to create awareness.
Yes, that's how controversy works. And that's how controversy is used in marketing. Controversy isn't an unintended or even an unwanted phenomenon, especially when it comes to marketing. It's a potent tool that has been used by advertisers and marketers to grab the eyeballs and drive more attention to their content.
You might have seen several ads that you found distasteful or even outrageous. And, that’s the trick! Most of you would still remember having watched an offensive advertisement on YouTube a couple of years ago and the way it disgusted you is still fresh in your memory.
Controversy isn’t a bad thing, especially if your intent is to simply get traction and more attention. It’s a potent weapon used by marketers, both on mass media and social media, and, as a matter of fact, the reachability of social media offers a more lucrative avenue for the markets to use controversy.
There are several ways marketers have generated controversy with their content. These range from race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, and even disability.
The very fact that controversial ads have been successful is evident from the fact that a lot has been said and written about them and although many of these controversial contents are years old, they still remain fresh in the memory of those who have had access to them. It shows that controversial marketing campaigns can be effective in grabbing the attention and keeping the ads in the limelight for a very long time. Also, the increasing penetration of social media has blurred the lines between what people get to watch on TV and what’s featured in their search results on the internet. If you’ve watched it on TV once, you can watch it ten times on YouTube, and it adds more fuel to the fire of controversy.
Let’s take a look at some of these controversial ads that have been around for a while and how people have reacted to them.
#1. The 2015 Super Bowl commercial of Carl’s Jr.
Carl’s Jr. is an American fast-food restaurant chain. But, that’s not all it’s known for. The company is quite famous for running controversial ad campaigns, most of which feature semi-naked women selling you burgers. And, it’s exactly what its Super Bowl commercial did when it featured Charlotte McKinney sans clothes. The ad was considered obnoxious by a whopping 52% of the viewers surveyed by Ameritest.
But that didn’t hamper its popularity. Rather, it only made the ad more popular. Staggeringly Popular! The ad garnered over 2.5 billion social media impressions before its Super Bowl run, after which the impressions soared to 4 billion. The CEO of Carl’s Andrew Puzder not only defended the controversial ad but also called it the right strategy to make the brand more attractive.
It proves that controversy has value, especially in the modern day world of social media likes, shares, and even dislikes.
#2. The 2015 Super Bowl commercial of Nationwide Insurance
Carl’s Jr. wasn’t the only offensive ad featured during 2015’s Super Bowl. Nationwide Insurance was also marred by controversy regarding its ad showing a little boy talking about the various things he wouldn’t be able to do in his life.
In the end, it’s revealed that the boy’s dead and the advertisement was meant to increase the awareness of insurance as a measure of safety, especially for kids. The ad was criticised for being too stark and dark for an event like Super Bowl resulting in broad criticism on social media. There were over 230,000 social media mentions regarding this advertisement on the very day of Super Bowl and over 64% of them were negative.
However, unlike Carl’s Jr., where the CEO defended its ad, Nationwide’s CEO Matt Jauchius resigned in the wake of the controversy. But, it doesn’t undermine the importance of controversy for marketers. There are numerous controversial advertisements still quite popular on social and mass media, and there aren’t many instances of the top managers quitting post an advertising controversy.
#3. The Autocomplete Truth – the United Nation Women
If you thought controversial ads are a forte of private companies seeking to increase profits at the cost of morality, then you are grossly mistaken. Here’s an example of how the UN used a controversial ad to create awareness of the discrimination and exploitation faced by women. This 2013 ad was the most shared ad in 2013 and displayed a woman’s photograph with a Google Search Bar showing various autocomplete options.
The ad showed what autocomplete options will be displayed as soon as someone types “Women cannot”. Along with the various autocomplete suggestions that included “women cannot drive” and “women cannot be bishops” to “women cannot speak in church”, the ad was also displayed a sentence below the search box that read “women cannot accept the way things are”.
The advertisement showed a grim reality of how women continue to suffer despite it being the second decade of the 21st century. The commercial used controversy in a thought provoking manner.
Why are controversial ads successful?
These are just a few of the examples of controversial ads. The social media and even the traditional media such as print and TV have always had their share of controversial advertisements. So, the question is, what makes these ads tick?
The answer is simple! People like controversy and even if it’s something they condemn, the truth is they are drawn towards it. It doesn’t always have to be a good experience to remain etched in their memories. Even a shocking incident is remembered for a very long time. Experienced marketers understand it and use it to their advantage.
Having said that, it doesn’t mean that a controversial marketing strategy should always be contrasting to the general perception of morality and ethics.
The UN ad on women has proven that controversy can be used not just to create an outrage. If used efficiently, it can be used to create awareness.
'I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion'
-Muhammad Ali