1. A Quick Look at
Controversial
Advertising
José A. Ferrón

2. “ A type of advertising designed
principally to break through the
advertising clutter to capture
attention and create buzz, and also to
attract an audience to a certain brand
or bring awareness to a certain public
service issue, health issue, cause,
goods or services”
Waller (2003)

3. 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

4.  Gets word of mouth
 Catches the public
imagination
 Any publicity is
good publicity
philosophy

5.  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

11. AdvertisingAgency: M&C Saatchi,
Auckland, New Zealand
Art Director: James Bowman
St. Matthew-in-the-
city Anglican Church
Auckland, New
Zealand

12. 26 photographs of people
on death row with their
names, ages and
execution day over the
words “sentenced to
death”

13. Independent
Self-Regulatory
Financed by the Advertising Industry
www.asai.ie

14. 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.

16.  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