Some ads are memorable because they’re funny, or touching, or perfectly capture the cultural zeitgeist. Think of Apple’s “1984” commercial, or Dos Equis’ “Most Interesting Man in the World” character. Others remain in the public consciouness because the companies or groups behind them spend months or even years living them down. And while a few companies make shock value the crux of their advertising (GoDaddy.com comes to mind here), most companies are caught by surprise when an ad is decried for being offensive or in bad taste.
Here’s a round-up of recent ads that stood out for all the wrong reasons.