Ads Behaving Badly: 8 Examples of When Trying to Do Right Goes Horribly Wrong

It’s certainly not unusual for brands to fall over themselves to attach themselves to worthy causes: the environment, education, human rights. Because what consumer doesn’t want to believe their purchasing dollar is going toward the greater good? But even if we give brands the benefit of the doubt and assume that their hearts are in the right place, their heads are always firmly focused on the bottom line. Too often, although a company’s efforts may seem noble on the surface, a deeper look shows irresponsible marketing trying to take advantage of unfortunate situations to advance the brand’s self-interest.