Here's a look at advertisements in the last two decades that weren't really pitch-perfect

Zomato had rotten tomato on its face after its hoardings sported cusswords. The food-delivery startup was slammed for misogynistic and offensive advertisement. Zomato isn’t alone. Advertising annals are full of racist, sexist and mostly just ads that offended someone somewhere. Here are the infamous ones of the last two decades:

Heinz Deli Mayo ad with a gay family
UK in 2008

Why: The ad that showed a gay family and a lip lock between two men offended the sensibilities of a homophobic audience, some of whom complained that the ad was offensive and even “unsuitable to be seen by children”. This was four years before Benetton's “Unhate” campaign came out. The latter, however controversial, wasn’t pulled out.

Arrangementfinders.com’s billboard that read: "Need a Summer Job? Date a sugar daddy”
Los Angeles in 2013
Why: For its overt sexist and offensive tone of voice, this billboard by dating site Arrangementfinders.com was banned in Chicago in 2013, twice. Ironically, the same billboard later ran around the UCLA campus in Los Angeles without any protest. AJ Perkins, the then CMO of the site, told ABCNews.com, "LA is really known for that lifestyle, for sugar daddies”

Pepsi’s ad featuring Kendall Jenner that trivialised “Black Lives Matter”
World over in 2017
Why: For its tone-deafness and trivialisation of the widespread protest in the US against the police killing of black Americans.

PETA’s “Ditch Dairy” billboard
Nottingham in 2014
Why: For its tastelessness in comparing milk to a sexual act.

Poster of the film Zack And Miri Make A Porno
Toronto Film Festival, in 2008
Why: The ad could not be placed in hoardings and newspaper, possibly because of the five-letter P-word in the title.

Heartland Institute’s anti-climate change billboards
Chicago, in 2012
Why: The billboards of the institute, famous for its denial of climate change, likened those who talk about global warming to mass murderers and terrorists. Thanks to the uproar, the billboards were taken down within 24 hours.

Body Shop’s campaign titled “Ruby”
US and Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway in 2001
Why: Mattel asked for a cease-and-desist order of Ruby’s images from all shops in the US, saying it made Barbie look bad. In Hong Kong, the authorities thought it’d offend passengers. An unfortunate take-down because it had triggered a debate on body image issues.

Airbnb billboards with open letters to public institutions
San Francisco in 2015
Why: The company was crowing about the estimated $12m that was raised from homeowners who use Airbnb to rent out properties. One of the ads read, “Dear Public Library System, we hope you use some of the $12 million in hotel taxes to keep the library open later. Love, Airbnb”. San Franciscans retorted that paying taxes is normal.

A TV commercial for Mr Kipling Mince Pies featuring Virgin Mary
UK in 2014
Why: Mary is shown giving birth in what initially looks like a hospital but is later revealed to be a church hall. This was the most complained about ad of 2004 in the UK as it hurt the religious sentiments of many who complained to the authorities.

Billboard with the provocative slogan “Career women make bad mothers”
UK in 2010
Why: A cheap and sexist stunt by the Outdoor Advertising Association (OAA) of Great Britain to show the power of outdoor advertising over digital backfired. Following public outcry, it was quickly pulled down.

(Source: Archives of advertising portal adland.tv, The Guardian, BBC and NYTimes.com)