Top 10 Celebrity Commercials That Caused MASSIVE Backlash

#10. Paris Hilton for Carls Jr.

Carls Jr. has long courted controversy with ad campaigns that lean heavily on sexualized imagery particularly their depiction of women. In 2012, supermodel Kate Upton starred in an extra spicy ad for the fast-food chain. However, in 2005, it was Paris Hilton who appeared in a controversial TV spot - washing a Bentley in a swimsuit before taking a steamy bite of a burger. The Parents Television Council slammed the commercial, while CEO Andy Puzder brushed off the criticism, insisting the outrage was overblown. The ad became iconic for its overt sexualization of fast-food advertising and, for better or worse, helped define the chains risqué marketing era.

#9: Marina Abramovi for Microsoft

In 2020, tech giant Microsoft teamed up with famed performance artist Marina Abramovi to promote its HoloLens 2 headset through an immersive art project called The Life. The ad showcased Abramovis avant-garde work in augmented reality, but the internet saw something else entirely. Within days, conspiracy theorists flooded the web with wild claims that the campaign promoted satanism. Others quickly jumped on the bandwagon and condemned the video leading Microsoft to take it down. Abramovi later said she was devastated by the smear campaign proof that even the most abstract art can ignite real-world firestorms in the age of viral outrage.

#8: Mary J. Blige for Burger King

Mary J. Blige, the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, is not exactly who you'd expect to see singing about chicken wraps under fluorescent lights. But thats exactly what happened in a 2012 Burger King commercial that sparked instant backlash. The ad featured Blige belting about crispy chicken in a jingle that many viewers, especially within the Black community, felt leaned into tired and offensive racial stereotypes. Critics slammed both Blige and Burger King for reducing a Grammy-winning artist to a caricature in the name of fast food. Burger King first blamed a licensing issue before admitting the ad wasnt cleared for release, and Blige later expressed her disappointment, saying she was pitched a very different concept.

#7: Danica Patrick & Bar Refaeli for GoDaddy

GoDaddy built its brand on being flashy, racy, and borderline offensive and nowhere was that more obvious than in its Super Bowl XLVII ad. The spot featured racecar driver Danica Patrick introducing sexy supermodel Bar Refaeli and smart actor Jesse Heiman, before the two locked lips in an awkward, drawn-out kiss. The message was supposedly that GoDaddy is the perfect mix of brains and beauty though were pretty sure few viewers walked away thinking about domain names. The ad was widely slammed for objectifying Refaeli and mocking Heimans appearance for cheap laughs. It went viral, but the backlash was strong enough to push GoDaddy away from this advertising playbook.

#6: Jason Bateman for Hyundai

Hyundais 2019 Super Bowl ad Elevator, starring celebrated actor Jason Bateman, took viewers on a ride through lifes most dreaded experiences - including jury duty, root canals, and a vegan dinner party. Yep, apparently attending a non-meat soiree was akin to culinary torture. But the gag didnt sit well with vegans, who blasted the commercial for mocking plant-based lifestyles and reinforcing negative stereotypes. PETA called the ad shameful and used the opportunity to highlight real ethical issues in the meat and dairy industries. Hyundai tried to walk it back, saying it was all in good fun and not an outright attack on veganism.

#5: Sydney Sweeney for American Eagle

Sydney Sweeneys American Eagle campaign has done a great job of stirring up the internet. Unfortunately, its for all the wrong reasons. You see, in her denim-clad ads, the Euphoria star plays on the word genes, linking inherited traits like eye color and personality to her blue jeans all while the camera lingers sensually on her blonde hair, blue eyes, and famous hourglass figure. But critics didnt buy the clever wordplay. Many slammed the campaign as a thinly veiled dog whistle for eugenics, arguing that casting Sweeney as the face of good genes glorifies outdated and dangerous ideals of whiteness.

#4: Various Celebrities for Gambling Ads

When Ontario, Canada legalized online gambling in April 2022, the industry exploded racking up over $35 billion in bets and more than $1.4 billion in revenue in its first year alone. But, the real gamble came with the advertising. Suddenly, big-name stars like Aaron Paul and Jamie Foxx were everywhere, glamorizing online casinos in slick, high-budget promos. Critics warned that using celebrities blurred the line between entertainment and addiction, especially for younger viewers. By August 2023, the backlash forced Ontarios Alcohol and Gaming Commission to step in. The result? Why that would be banning all celebrity-endorsed gambling ads that appeal to minors.

#3: Tyler, the Creator for Mountain Dew

Mountain Dew took a wild swing at offbeat humor in the early 2010s when they partnered with Tyler, the Creator for a series of quirky, youthoriented ads emphasizing edgy humor and creative branding. However, the surreal trilogy went off the rails in the final installment. The ad showed Felicia, a talking goat, intimidating a witness from a police lineup where all the suspects, aside from the goat, were young Black men. Several of them were actually Tylers own friends and members of the collective, Odd Future. However, critics and viewers were quick to slam the spot for perpetuating harmful racial stereotypes and trivializing police profiling, regardless of its surrealist intent.

#2: Ashton Kutcher for Popchips

This wasnt just a bad ad it was a full-blown PR disaster. In 2012, Popchips aired a commercial featuring Ashton Kutcher inwait for itbrownface. Yep, portraying a cringeworthy caricature of an Indian man named Raj, Kutcher was meant to be part of a fake dating profile sketch. Naturally, viewers were quick to call out the depiction for being racially insensitive, and just flat-out unfunny. Making matters worse, Kutcher wasnt just the star, he was also Popchips so-called President of Pop Culture, meaning he had creative input in developing the campaign. Predictably, the backlash was as strong as it was swift, leading the company to pull the ad and issue an apology.

#1: Kendall Jenner for Pepsi

Pop quiz: how do you end racism? Simple have Kendall Jenner hand a police officer a can of Pepsi. That was the baffling premise of this 2017 Pepsi ad, which showed Jenner leaving a glamorous photo shoot to join a protest and magically ease tensions by offering a soda to law enforcement. The commercial was immediately slammed for trivializing real-life protest movements, especially during the Black Lives Matter movement. Critics and viewers alike condemned it for suggesting that deep-rooted issues like systemic racism and police brutality could be resolved with a soft drink and a smile from a celebrity. The backlash was fairly relentless, and it still stands as head-scratchingly off-base.

Do you think these celebrity commercials deserved the backlash, or were some overblown? Let us know in the comments below.