Shock advertising, or shockvertising is a type of advertising generally regarded as one that “deliberately, rather than inadvertently, startles and offends its audience by violating norms for social values and personal ideals.” Usually it’s used in advertising or public relations to highlight a public policy issue, goods or services. Shock advertising was principally designed to create buzz and attract an audience to a certain brand or bring awareness to a certain issue.
What was found to be a shocking ad few years ago, now it often doesn’t make any difference for the public. Now they can include a disregard for tradition, law or practice (e.g., lewd or tasteless sexual references or obscenity), defiance of the social code, like vulgarity, brutality, nudity, or profanity, or the display of images or words that are horrifying, terrifying, or repulsive (e.g., gruesome or revolting scenes, or violence). The ways of presenting ads changed because companies understood that people like to be shocked or terrified.
There is famous general truth about advertising: “It doesn’t matter if they talk bad or good about the product, what matters is that they talk”
Below you have some of the examples of shocking adverts:

A typical Calvin Klein ad to promote the jeans.

The Skechers brand of footwear had to pull out this ad featuring Christina Aguilera after a nurses’ group complained.

This is a startlingly frank male-sex condoms print ad condom ad by Ansell targeted at gays.

This ad presents problem of anorexy.

One of the most controversial ad of all time. Benetton’s shocking ad features a new-born baby to get people to buy clothes.

The UCB ad showing a black stallion mounting a white mare as part of its multi racial theme.

In this ad based on multi racial theme, there are three identical human hearts with stickers announcing different ethnic groups ‘white, black, yellow’.

Ad produced for Durex company, implied meaning of possibilities of new product.

The ad by a Russian Financial magazine showing Euro having sex with US dollar.

This advert produced for NHS caused many protests and eventually was banned. Its shocking way refers to nicotine addiction.

And you? Have you seen any shockvertising? If yes, Which ad campaign made the biggest impact on you?

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