It’s possible you’ll not imagine why these standard, hilarious advertisements had been pulled off the airwaves – however all of them assure a great snort! So, seize your popcorn and prepare to view among the world’s most memorable (however censored) commercials.
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1 Long chicken, Burger King
The subway was an unlikely setting for a risque commercial, yet that's where Burger King chose to take it. After all the passengers had settled in for the night ride, two of them – a man and woman – began some light flirting. She smiled coyly, he laughed heartily at each joke she made - until suddenly the conversation took a more physical turn with her giving him an unexpected pole dance!
Right when things were about to get even more inappropriate though, they realized there was someone else present from whom they hadn't noticed before: a third passenger who'd been silently watching as this subtle performance unfolded.
Suddenly knowing someone else was observing their antics, both stopped abruptly with no explanation needed as to why.
That is when the voiceover finally uttered “Wish your chicken was bigger?” and only then did these two understand the full implications of what this ad truly entailed.
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2 Planet Fitness
Visiting the gym can be an intimidating activity, especially in a place where obsessive bodybuilders and aloof models seem to congregate. Unfortunately, this is exactly what Planet Fitness seeks to portray in their recently banned advertisement.
Set within a girls' locker room, it suggests that people feel out of place because everyone around them appears “hot”; the idea being that these are not welcome at the company's gyms.
However, many viewers found this commercial insensitive and lacking good taste - much like Planet Fitness itself for attempting to do so in such a demeaning fashion.
Thankfully, attempts by the FCC have successfully gotten it removed from airwaves everywhere - ensuring your next trip to the gym won't be filled with self-consciousness or judgement from others!
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3 Land Rover
Ah, yet another attempt at humour via a penis-related gag. This advertisement revolves around an ambitious and adventurous woman who owns a Land Rover; her ownership of the vehicle enables her to explore remote parts of the world and connect with indigenous tribes that were previously unknown to her.
Bringing back various artifacts from these journeys, she displays them in her home where they become conversation starters for when company is around.
On one such occasion, a man was particularly taken aback by one of these pieces - which seemed like an ancient horn - it wasn't until he decided to take matters into his own hands (literally) that he realized it was not what it appeared to be: rather than being an instrument as assumed upon first glance, it was actually some form of codpiece! Talk about awkward!
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4 Doritos
This particular Doritos ad is a humorous look at their familiar underlying message -- that Doritos are too good to resist. We see this play out when a young man sitting on a park bench, munching away his favourite snack, is approached by an attractive girl as she jogs past.
The woman hopes for an indulgent taste herself but since he's finished the bag there's no more to offer her; instead of leaving empty-handed though, she licks the flavourful powder from off his face.
The unsuccessful encounter must have resonated with him because the next day our protagonist hatches another plan - this time using his snack of choice as bait: He selfishly attempts to score some oral sex by covering his crotch in tempting crumbs.
Needless to say, it backfires and again serves its original purpose – reminding us all why we can’t keep our hands off those irresistible Doritos!
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5 Vim
Upon entering her mother's bathroom, the daughter finds her hard at work. In place of a prison uniform, she wears rubber gloves and scrubs away until all that remains is an empty bathtub.
As the camera pans out it becomes evident this was not a visit to a correctional facility – the tagline “Don’t spend your life cleaning” suddenly makes chilling sense.
The commercial was pulled upon widespread criticism for drawing parallels between household cleaning and jail time.
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6 AXE
It seems everyone is after the man wearing AXE body spray. This was made clear in their notorious yet banned advertisement.
After returning to his parents' home, he introduces them to Cindy; however, before long a throng of women begins flowing into the family residence.
To the horror of his parents, their son nonchalantly presents them one by one, with each seeming quite content as just another conquest for this ladies' man.
It's no surprise that AXE has been reinforcing this image since its conception - all the girls evidently want what's behind that tantalizing aroma!
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7 Veet
The outcry from women was immediate and resounding – resulting in the ban of this ad. While it may have been intended to be amusing, it didn’t sit right with many who found its message offensive and extremely reductive.
The ad follows a one-night stand between two people, where the man wakes up to find himself sleeping next to a guy with female body hair wearing pyjamas, who speaks in a girl's voice alluding they're "a little prickly."
To avoid being perceived as “dude-like," he is encouraged to use Veet Wax Strips instead – insinuating that female body hair is not attractive or something anyone would want around them.
This type of beauty shaming cannot be condoned and should never be taken lightly nor laughed at; something that most people appeared able to agree on before this advertisement was swiftly removed from circulation.
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