THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL ADS OF OUR TIMES
The best advertisements should cause a stir – but there’s a fine line between making an impression and offending viewers. From Pepsi’s widely panned Live for Now ad featuring Kendall Jenner, to Nike’s valiant Just Do It piece featuring Colin Kaepernick, the biggest brands in the world have made some of the most controversial ads of recent years. We take you through some the most talked-about ads of our times and interrogate the use of music in each one
Looking to start discovering production music right here, right now? Begin by visiting our music for advertising page.
The Most Controversial Ads
Tesco – Food Love Stories
Just last year, Tesco made the controversial decision to cut a Black couple from their advert. Let us tell you a little more.
In 2020 two Black actors, Vanessa Vanderpuye and Ezekiel Ewul, were hired by Tesco for one of their Food Love Stories TV ads. But when the ad aired, the actors discovered that they had been cut from the final version. Vanderpuye swiftly took to social media to share her experience with the British supermarket, receiving both positive and negative feedback. She believes the reason she was cut was that Tesco had recently received complaints about another ad featuring a woman of colour with an afro hairstyle. She believes the scene was cut because Tesco were too keen not to offend racist customers. We think she could be on to something.
Music: The music in Tesco’s Food Love Stories ad isn’t anything out of the ordinary – in fact, it’s pretty generic. If you’re interested in a similarly undemanding track for your next project, make sure you check out our Simple/Sparse/Minimal music.
Sainsbury’s – Gravy Song
On the other hand, Sainsbury’s put a Black family firmly at the very centre of one of their recent Christmas adverts. Showcasing images and pictures from the build-up to the family’s festive celebrations, a recording of an affectionate sibling phone call plays in the background. Unfortunately, the ad ignited controversy as racists took to the internet to slam Sainsbury’s use of an all-Black family.
Music: To complement the telephone audio, Sainsbury’s opts for a sweet, innocent-sounding piano track to add a touch of magic to the festive scenes. Looking for a magical track yourself? We’ve got plenty – visit our Magical/Mystical playlist now.
Hyundai Ad – The Elevator
During the Super Bowl, many found the Hyundai advert comical, but it also offended a percentage of audience members – namely vegans.
The plot sees actor Jason Bateman play the role of a bell-boy, operating an elevator in a magical hotel. Inside the lift, Bateman ushers people to their scheduled destinations – most of which are beyond tedious and located on the lower floors. In one segment, the doors open to reveal a ‘Vegan Dinner Party’. Given the massive societal shift towards veganism in this day and age, it would probably have been more appropriate to celebrate veganism than to slam it with what felt like a cheap shot; ergo, complete commercial misfire.
Music: The most important use of music comes at the end, when the ‘hero’ couple are taken up to the penthouse floor to shop for a Hyundai. The celestial soundtrack, along with the light-filled interior of the dealership, sets the scene, suggesting to viewers that the Hyundai shopping experience is dreamy and stress-free.
Peloton – The Gift That Gives Back
For Christmas 2019, exercise equipment company Peloton created an ad that was slammed as sexist by thousands of US citizens. In it, a woman is presented with a Peloton bike as a gift by her partner, which she immediately starts to use day in, day out. Many people felt the ad was offensive because it seemed to suggest that woman should obsessively aim for – and maintain – a skinny figure.
Music: The song Peloton opts for in this commercial is She’s So High by Tal Bachman. The 90s pop song is right on-brand and appeals to Peloton’s mainstream audience. Perhaps they should consider reusing the track in an upcoming commercial – and perhaps you should look at our pop music offerings for similar soundtracks.
Lush – #SPYCOPS
High-street cosmetics brand Lush touched a few nerves with their 2018 ad #SPYCOPS, which took a swipe at the British policing system. The ad explored the deceitfulness of undercover cops and suggested that police lie. As you can imagine, the boys in blue were pretty unimpressed, with many officers personally offended by the commercial’s blatant messaging.
Music: If there’s one positive takeaway from Lush’s #SPYCOP campaign, it’s the use of music. The song is a vocal-led, indie rock track that features fitting lyrics and works well with both the romantic and investigative settings featured. Perhaps this will inspire you to sample some of our indie songs over on our Discover Indie page.
Music For Your Next Advert
Now that you’re savvy about the world of advertising, it's time for us to reintroduce ourselves. We, Audio Network, are a production music catalogue with thousands of tracks of all types of genres, from classical to hip hop and everything in-between. If you are a creative or a business looking for original compositions for your next project, we can help.
Whatever kind of soundtrack you need, you can find it by exploring our mood/emotion playlists. We have an optimistic playlist, a dark playlist, a ghostly playlist and much, much more.
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At Audio Network we create original music, of the highest quality, for broadcasters, brands, creators, agencies and music fans everywhere. Through clear and simple licensing, we can offer you a huge variety of the best quality music across every conceivable mood and genre. Find out how we can connect you with the perfect collaborator today by clicking the button below!
This page was updated 23/05/2024.
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