Best Rejected Advertising

Russian Finance Magazine, Russia


This ad, from the Russian Finance magazine was banned in Moscow. The poster company had to tear down a 100 posters overnight after receiving a letter from Igor Presnyakov, chairman of the Moscow Committee for advertising and information.

The campaign, by the Russian Finance magazine, was judged immoral by the Committee.

Magazine publisher Igor Maltsev said he did not realise what the posters were supposed to represent. "I thought the currencies were dancing on our poster, but after hearing from Mr Presnyakov I saw that, yes, maybe, this is a love scene."


Marithe & Francois Girbaud, Italy


Complaint:
This image offends the religious sensibilities of all citizens. It trivializes the intense and dramatic moment during the Last Supper in which Christ anticipates his crucifixion in order to liberate humanity from their sins by appropriating religious symbols - such as loaves and fish - for commercial purposes and by replacing the apostles with female fashion models.

Advertiser’s Statement:
The advertisers´ primary defense was that modern society has enabled women to achieve sexual equality with men only by sacrificing their femininity. This advertisement´s interpretation of Leonardo´s painting does not trivialize the sacred, but rather creates a new perception of femininity by presenting men - instead of women - in a position of fragility.

Adjudication:
The Advertising Standards Authority of Italy ruled that the image offends religious belief not only because it provokes a reaction among consumers of the sacred profaned, but also because it attempts to elevate commercial products to the same level as religious symbols. Rather than being merely satirical, the message of this advertisement blurs the boundaries between the sacred and the profane, and thus offends consumer sensibility.

Loads more print, TV, and radio ads that got banned here (click on the can)