“I speak for the trees, for the trees have no voice.” That was the poignant environmental message of Dr. Seuss fable The Lorax. But when a version of the story came to the big screen this year, the Lorax was pressed into service speaking as a sales-critter for everything from IHOP pancakes to Hewlett-Packard printers. What really ticked off environmentalists, though, was a commercial for Mazda’s CX-5 — an SUV that isn’t even a hybrid. The company defended the endorsement, saying a stick-shift version of the vehicle can get up to 35 miles per gallon on the highway.
What Were They Thinking? 10 Ads That Sparked Controversy
Cringe-inducing ads can do a lot to tarnish a company's image. Here's ten examples of advertisements gone wrong and how each company handled the fallout.
