Super Bowl Commercials That Deserve Places in The Hall Of Shame

Not every Super Bowl commercial is a touchdown. Here are some of the most infamous ads that left audiences confused, offended, or just cringing

What makes something a flop?

Not the kind of flop that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is prone to do, but a flop in the world of advertising?

Brands airing Super Bowl ads have a lot riding on their investments -- roughly US$7 million for a 30-second spot for the 2025 big game. So there's a lot of pressure to get things right.

In my advertising classes, I often tell students that a commercial that's controversial or disliked in the moment shouldn't necessarily be considered a failure. In fact, enragement drives engagement. So if one of the goals of advertising is to keep the brand top of mind for consumers, a hated Super Bowl ad still accomplishes at least one goal. Think of the now-infamous Pepsi ad where Kendall Jenner "solves racism" with a can of Pepsi. Or all those raunchy GoDaddy ads that everyone rolled their eyes at, but the company kept running, year after year.

Instead, a true advertising face-plant is a commercial that's both tone-deaf and completely forgettable -- so dull, off-putting or confusing that when a brand completely switches up its strategy, you almost don't remember the massive blunder that compelled it to change course in the first place. Almost.

So with this definition in mind, here are my submissions for five of the biggest Super Bowl advertising flops.

1. General Motors' "Robot", 2007

Should viewers care about a 'depressed' robot?

A robot loses its job at GM, becomes depressed, and contemplates suicide. The ad faced criticism for making light of mental health and suicide, leading GM to pull the spot after complaints.

A GM robot gets so depressed after getting fired that it jumps off a bridge to end its own existence.

How endearing.

The ad for the then-struggling automaker, which aired during Super Bowl 41 between the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears, features a robot that struggles with depression and existential angst after learning its services are no longer needed on the assembly line.

The robot questions its meaning and purpose and tries to combine dark humor and social commentary about the monotony of work and the inevitability of technological progress. But it ends up missing the mark for a few reasons.

Suicide is pretty bleak for a Super Bowl spot, and mental health, in general, is a sensitive topic. There was little effort made to connect the spot to core GM brand values, which include inspiring "passion and loyalty" and "serving and improving communities."

Furthermore, the idea of robots having human emotions can be off-putting for many consumers -- particularly at a time when many automotive and factory workers in the U.S. were rightly concerned about robots taking their jobs.

2. Groupon "Save the Whales", 2011

This bizarre Groupon Super Bowl Ad wasn't funny and didn't make much sense, either.

This ad started like a heartfelt PSA about saving whales but turned into a joke about saving money with Groupon. The tone-deaf punchline offended many, leading to widespread backlash.

Sometimes I try to imagine the meetings at ad agencies where ideas for clients are batted around:

"We need to promote this new app that lets families get products like smoothies at slightly discounted prices."

"OK, how about this: It starts as a Tibetan tourism ad. Then it takes a dark turn and suggests that Tibet is about to be wiped off the map. That's when our client's product gets introduced: We tell viewers that before Tibetan culture goes extinct, they should try fish curry, like these 200 people in Chicago who saved $15 at a Himalayan restaurant using Groupon."

"Excuse me?"

"Oh -- and let's have the narrator be a white guy with long sideburns."

I have no idea how this one avoided the cutting-room floor.

3. Nationwide Insurance's "Boy", 2015

This dark ad featured a boy narrating all the life experiences he missed because he died in a preventable accident. Its somber tone was a jarring contrast to the Super Bowl's festive vibe.

The insurance company used a strange mix of heartbreak and guilt-tripping to try to entice viewers to buy its policies during Super Bowl 49.

The ad features a young boy narrating in a somber tone, listing all of the milestones he'll miss because he's dead: learning to ride a bike, travel the world, get married.

The twist is that the cause of his death is an accident. That's where Nationwide comes in: They offer life insurance to help offset tragedies. But wait -- insurance doesn't prevent tragedies. It merely provides compensation to "replace" what you lost. Both the morbid tone and twist were bizarre.

Exploiting tragedies in advertisements is generally not going to win people over. I can't imagine how it would feel to be a parent who's lost a child and see this TV ad.

4. Audi, 2020

Everything everywhere all at once

Can a "Game of Thrones" star join forces with Disney while highlighting the importance of sustainability to create an ad for … Audi?

In the minute-long spot, Masie Williams, who plays Arya Stark on "Game of Thrones," belts out the lyrics to "Let It Go," the hit single from Disney's "Frozen." As she drives, pedestrians join her in song. At the end of the ad, Audi announces that they are finally making an electric car.

The ad seems to be about "letting go" of fossil fuel dependence -- the gas sign yells it, car dealership yells it, mechanics yell it -- almost two decades after the first major electric car hit the market.

Was it meant to be empowering? Funny? Inspirational? It tried to do a little bit of everything, leaving viewers grasping and gasping. Not to mention the song "Let It Go" had come out seven years prior, which made the whole production seem even more dated.

5. Just For Feet's "Kenyan Mission" (1999)

This ad showed a group of white men tracking a barefoot Kenyan runner, sedating him, and forcing shoes onto his feet. Criticized for racist overtones, it sparked outrage and contributed to the company's downfall.

A company-cratering advertisement

Close your eyes.

Imagine an ad that's racist and confusing.

Imagine an ad in which the main character is disappointed to receive the product being advertised.

Imagine an ad so bad that the company sues the agency responsible for the ad because it destroyed their reputation and bankrupted them.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Just For Feet's "Kenyan Runner" Super Bowl ad.

The ad depicts a barefoot Kenyan runner sprinting across a rugged landscape as a group of white men in military SUVs tracks him down as if on a hunting expedition.

After they eventually catch him, they forcibly drug him by offering a mysterious beverage. The runner drinks it, collapses and wakes up to find that he is now wearing a pair of Just For Feet sneakers. He looks confused and distressed, as if he'd been violated.

Bizarre and unsettling, indeed. Just For Feet filed for bankruptcy less than a year later.

Matthew Pittman, Associate Professor of Advertising and Public Relations, University of Tennessee

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Also worth mentioning -- Dishonorable Mentions, that is -- are these flops:

Snickers' "Mechanics" (2007)

Two mechanics accidentally kiss while sharing a Snickers bar, followed by exaggerated \"manly\" behavior to assert masculinity. It was pulled after backlash from LGBTQ+ groups for promoting homophobia.

Mountain Dew's "Puppymonkeybaby" (2016)

A creature that's part puppy, part monkey, part baby was meant to be quirky but left viewers disturbed and confused, becoming one of the most unsettling Super Bowl ads ever.

GNC's "Courage to Change" (2017)

Despite being produced, this ad was banned from airing because GNC sold products containing substances banned by the NFL. The mishap resulted in a legal dispute over advertising guidelines.

GoDaddy's "Lost Puppy" (2015)

Attempting to parody heartwarming puppy ads, this commercial showed a lost puppy finding its way home, only to be sold online immediately. The insensitive twist angered animal lovers.

Audi's "Green Police" (2010)

This ad depicted eco-enforcers aggressively punishing people for minor environmental infractions. It was criticized for its authoritarian overtones, unintentionally evoking dystopian vibes.

SalesGenie's "Panda" (2008)

Featuring pandas with exaggerated Chinese accents, this commercial was accused of racial insensitivity and cultural stereotyping, leading to significant negative feedback.

While Super Bowl ads aim to be memorable, sometimes they're remembered for all the wrong reasons. Learn from these marketing missteps to avoid the same fate.

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