Apple’s latest iPad advert backfired, but how does it rank amongst the worst ever?
Most things Apple does fly.
Whether a new iPhone or iPad, it’s one of the richest companies in the world for a reason: It’s extremely popular and knows how to market its products.
But this morning was a rare occasion where the tech behemoth had to retreat with its tail between its legs.
Its boss Tim Cook posted an advert on Twitter for its new iPad, showing musical instruments and other creative items being crushed in an industrial hydraulic machine.
It was meant to show how many things were being compressed into the new device, but social media didn’t agree.
British acting legend Hugh Grant was perhaps the most prominent to lash out, saying: “The destruction of the human experience. Courtesy of Silicon Valley.”
But Apple’s swift apology and self-deprecating tone saying they “missed the mark” with this, will surely give them a few brownie points.
We have gone through some other commercials and advertising campaigns that spectacularly backfired to consider where they rank.
Cheese on the Tube (no really)
Transport for London left a cheese company’s bosses feeling blue last September after banning ads depicting their products on the tube – saying the diet staple is too unhealthy.
It has been cracking down on unhealthy food advertising on the tube, and now this includes the dairy favourite.
The founder of Cheese Geek, Edward Hancock, said the ban was “crazy” and that he couldn’t understand why fizzy drink ads were allowed on the network but not artisan cheeses. Hancock said cheese “has been shown in numerous recent studies to be beneficial for health.”
OK, it’s not as bad as Apple’s, and it’s not even really their fault at all. Let people eat cheese, we say!
On a scale of 1 to 10 for embarrassment, it’s a two.
Dove and Nivea
Right, let’s get these ones out of the way early.
The British consumer goods giant Dove, owned by Unilever, published an advert for its body lotion, and clearly nobody thought about how it may come across.
The advert started with a black woman, who then uses the lotion, removes a layer, and is magically a white woman.
It was pilloried on social media by people accusing it of being tone deaf and it was accused of racism.
In a statement, Dove said the clip “did not represent the diversity of real beauty .. and it should not have happened.”
“We have removed the post and have not published any other related content. We apologise deeply and sincerely for the offence that it has caused.”
Meanwhile, Nivea posted an advert in 2017 entitled: : “Keep it clean, keep it bright. Don’t let anything ruin it”, next to the slogan ‘white is purity.’
It was easy to see why it was forced into a swift apology.
We are afraid both of these adverts are worse than Apple’s. They are a solid 9/10.
What were their marketing teams thinking!?
Puregym
Puregym shocked many of its users in 2020 after its Luton and Dunstable branch tried and failed to mark Black History Month with a rather controversial advert.
The workout group shared a tasteless ad on Facebook, which said: “Entitled ’12YearsOfSlave’ (after the epic movie) this is our workout of the month designed by @mattsimpt to celebrate black history month. Slavery was hard and so is this.”
Puregym central command, of course, rapidly apologised, investigated and said it had not been approved.
It was just one branch, and they acted swiftly. So, while it was stupid, it’s not as bad as others—solid 7/10.
‘Beach body ready’
Perhaps one of the best-known marketing controversies in recent times was the so-called ‘Beach body ready’ campaign from Protein World.
The advert adorned London Underground stations, featuring a scantily clad woman in a bikini, and the caption ‘Are you beach body ready?’ claiming its product can help weight loss.
When the Advertising Standards Authority investigated, it said: “We’ve met with Protein World to discuss its “Are you beach body ready?” ad campaign. It’s coming down in the next three days and, due to our concerns about a range of health and weight loss claims made in the ad, it can’t appear again in its current form.”
The ban on this advert probably made it more popular and well known. We give it a 6/10. It’s not overtly offensive, per se.
(This actually got turned into a political joke too, when anti-Sadiq Khan demonstrators turned him into a blimp, in the style of the beach body ready ad.)
Rimmell
The makeup brand was also scalded by the Advertising Standards Authority for a Facebook campaign.
The advert included the caption “Get ready to slay this back to school season”, while promoting money off for its products, and including a video of influencer Lana Jenkins.
The ASA said it had complaints from a number of people, saying it “played on young girls’ insecurities by implying they were only ready for a new school year if they wore make-up”.
Despite the ban, Rimmell insisted it was meant to boost young girls’ confidence—another 6/10.
FCK-in clever?
KFC has had a few run-ins with the advert police.
When it was running low on chicken, it tried to appeal to its younger British customers by cheekily re-arranging the letters to FCK.
While humorous, it got flak for promoting bad language amongst its youngest fans.
It was also criticised for its catchphrase ‘finger-lickin’ good, amid claims it also alluded to the swearword.
The ASA eventually removed the advert, while KFC tried to get around it by using the phrase on billboards, ‘ “FINALLY F-CKIN’ GOOD”,’ but covering the letters between f and ckin, with chips.
It’s certainly memorable.
This scores a low 2/10. It’s just a bit of fun.
Tesco Mobile tries to be naughty
Tesco, everyone’s favourite local supermarket, had a mixed reaction when it tried to be a bit clever with its marketing.
It went down the KFC route of swearing, using swearwords in its products, including “What a load of shiitake”, “They’re taking the pistachio”, and “For fettuccine’s sake”.
The advertising authority again told it off. Tesco Mobile is not KFC, and they shouldn’t be trying this kind of thing. 4/10.
Coke
The drinks giant has put out many adverts which have come in for criticism, but perhaps the worst is the 2015 clip of indigenous people being handed the sugary drink.
In a clip, depicting indigenous people in Mexico, the advert says “This Christmas a group of young people decided to give something very special to the indigenous community of Totontepec [Villa] de Morelos in Oaxaca. You, too, open your heart.”
It came in for criticism, however, because the group of young people were all non-indigenous, and it reportedly did not take into consideration health issues related to the community, including obesity.
A coalition of groups called for it to be removed, and it eventually apologised despite saying it was meant to be a ‘message of unity’.
The worst of the lot?
Perhaps the worst advertising fail, however, was Otley, the burger company.
In 2021, the company decided it was a good idea to use the missing, and presumed dead, girl Madeline McCann, to promote its product.
In a message on its social media accounts, it posted “Burgers for dinner?” above a picture of Madeline and her mum Kate, adding “With burgers this good, you’ll leave your kids at home. What’s the worst that could happen.”
This is an absolute howler. 10/10.
And no, we’re not sharing the advert.