Advertising is basically psychological warfare with a catchy jingle. Some ads charm you, some bore you, and some? Some go so off the rails you wonder if a fever dream and a boardroom PowerPoint had a baby.
Yet here we are, decades later, still thinking about them. Against all odds—and good taste—these ads are seared into our brains forever.
Let’s take a petty little walk through the most unhinged ad campaigns that went way too far… and somehow became legendary.
1. Pepsi’s Kendall Jenner Protest Ad (2017)
Nothing says “ending systemic injustice” like a can of sugary carbonated water, right? In this now-infamous ad, Kendall Jenner defuses a tense protest by handing a cop a Pepsi. Social issues? Solved! Twitter? Imploded.
It was tone-deaf, bizarre, and somehow managed to offend everyone in under two minutes. But hey, we’re still talking about it, so maybe that was the real strategy?
2. GoDaddy’s Super Bowl Kiss (2013)
GoDaddy said, “What if we took the world’s most awkward makeout session and broadcast it to 100 million people?” And then they did it. A nerdy guy aggressively kissing supermodel Bar Refaeli while the camera zoomed in uncomfortably? Marketing genius! (Or a hate crime against eyes everywhere.)
People cringed, gagged, and immediately remembered GoDaddy’s name. Mission accomplished… we guess?
3. Axe Body Spray: “The Axe Effect” (2000s)
If you believed Axe commercials, one spritz of that body spray would turn you into a women-magnet so powerful you’d need a restraining order. Reality? You smelled like a chemical spill in a teenage boy’s locker room.
The ads were over-the-top, sexist, and somehow convinced an entire generation of boys that dousing themselves like a Glade PlugIn was the move.
4. McDonald’s “Dead Dad” Ad (UK, 2017)
In a bold move nobody asked for, McDonald’s UK released a heart-wrenching ad about a boy bonding with his dead father over a Filet-O-Fish. Yes, you read that right. Grief… sponsored by McNuggets.
Public backlash was immediate and vicious, forcing McDonald’s to apologize and pull the ad faster than you could say “bad taste.”
5. Bloomingdale’s Creepy Christmas Ad (2015)
“Spike your best friend’s eggnog when they’re not looking.” Actual printed Bloomingdale’s holiday ad copy. Nothing says “festive” like casual non-consensual drugging, right?
The internet rightfully dragged them so hard they had to issue a groveling apology, but the damage was already done. Somewhere, a PR intern still wakes up sweating over this one.
6. Quiznos Spongmonkeys (2004)
Quiznos didn’t just sell sandwiches—they assaulted your senses with demented, shrieking hamsters with human teeth. The Spongmonkeys were nightmare fuel disguised as marketing.
It was weird. It was horrifying. It was absolutely unforgettable. To this day, if you mention Quiznos, half the room will start twitching and humming “We love the subs!”
7. LifeLock CEO Shares His Social Security Number (2006)
In a flex of pure chaotic energy, the CEO of LifeLock put his real Social Security number on billboards to prove their service worked. (Spoiler: it did not.)
He was promptly hacked multiple times, because of course he was. Turns out daring the internet to ruin your life is not a long-term brand strategy.
8. Calvin Klein’s Creepy Basement Casting (1995)
If you ever wanted to see what an FBI sting operation disguised as a jeans commercial would look like, Calvin Klein’s ’95 campaign delivered. It featured teens in a grimy basement being “interviewed” about their bodies… for jeans.
America collectively dry-heaved. Authorities got involved. Calvin Klein yanked the campaign before it could finish self-immolating.
9. Peloton’s “Gift That Trapped a Woman” Ad (2019)
A husband gives his already-fit wife a Peloton bike for Christmas. She proceeds to document her harrowing fitness journey like she’s training for the Hunger Games, all while looking terrified.
It sparked outrage, memes, parody ads—and a massive stock drop. Peloton learned the hard way that nothing says “romance” like implying your spouse needs a glow-up.
10. Sony PSP “White is Coming” Billboard (2006)
Sony, why? WHY? To promote the new white PSP, Sony launched a “White is Coming” billboard in the Netherlands featuring a white woman aggressively grabbing a Black woman’s face.
Somehow no one in that meeting raised a hand to say “maybe not this.” After public outrage exploded, Sony pulled the ad—but not before it achieved legendary levels of wtf.
The Line? They Didn’t Just Cross It—They Leapt Over It
Sure, some of these ads were horrifying, tone-deaf, or just straight-up cursed. But you remember them. You can’t unsee them. And honestly, that’s what brands want: for their chaos to live rent-free in your brain forever.
Which ad did you cringe at the hardest? Which one deserves a public apology and a Lifetime movie? Drop it in the comments—and feel free to nominate other marketing disasters we definitely need to roast next.