(SPOT.ph) Yes, we get it. Ads are made to sell products. But sometimes there are ads that steal the show from the goods. That happens when the ads are either ahead of their time or when they rub people the wrong way. We picked the most recent ones that had people talking—or signing petitions.
Please refer to the controversy rating scale below:
1 - It's only controversial because it's ahead of its time.
2 - It inadvertently offends a certain group of people.
3 - It's risqué and gets mixed reactions.
4 - It's misleading because it sells a baffling notion.
5 - It's so unacceptable that protests have been launched against it.
10. DOVE — CAMPAIGN FOR TRUE BEAUTY SERIES
What it wants to say: This worldwide marketing campaign, which was launched in 2004, wanted women to be comfortable and feel beautiful in their own skin. It encouraged the public to participate by asking them what they thought of the models featured in the posters and billboards.
The opposite effect: Let's face it, a number of Pinoys have unbelieveable standards of beauty even if they themselves aren't beautiful. The ads may have been enlightened but not everyone else was open to the idea of calling someone who didn't have a well-endowed chest area or anyone who was Rubenesque as "beautiful." (Shame on them!)
The verdict: The ad wanted to redefine the concept of beauty. Unfortunately, the public was not ready for that. Bottom line: Yes, the more enlightened crowd got this ad campaign, but narrow-minded people didn't. The ad's intent was not controversial, it was only its effect on the narrow-minded populace that created the "controversial buzz." Please refer to the controversy rating scale that appears in the introduction of this article.
Controversy rating: 1
