The 8 Most Controversial Super Bowl Commercials We’ll Never Forget

If there’s ever a time when a minute is worth $15 million, it’s during the Super Bowl, when football, musicAnd even foodie Unite to watch the biggest match of the year. But just having a desirable business spot isn’t enough for businesses: once those 100 million viewers tune in, the real challenge is converting that interest into website visits, brand recognition, and online chat. One way to do this? Controversial commercial.

Many brands, from fast food chains to AI startups, have succumbed to risky advertising strategies in Super Bowl history, with some teetering on the line of cultural insensitivity, sexism, and even disease. Some ads were questionable the moment they were broadcast, or even before; Others became infamous only after viewers had enough time to digest what they had just seen. But ultimately, these are the sites that keep people talking long after the last drop. Before the next batch of big-budget ads hit the screen, let’s revisit some of the more controversial ads Super Bowl ads In all ages.

1. 1. Carl Jr. “All-Natural” (2015)
2. 2. Nationwide “The Boy Who Couldn’t Grow Up” (2015)
3. 3. 84 Lamber “The Journey Begins” (2017)
4. 4. PETA “Last Longer” (2016)
5. 5. GM “Robot Suicide” (2007)
6. 6. Tim Tebow, “Focus on the Family” (2010)
7. 7. “Tibet” compilation (2011)
8. 8. “AI vs. ChatGPT” Anthropy (2026)

1. Carl Jr. “All-Natural” (2015)

Sex sells…cheeseburger? Show Carl’s Jr. ad. “All-Natural” Charlotte McKinney in tight clothes, biting sensually Burger While the men looked on. Critics slammed the ad as sexist, with one Twitter user declaring it had “set feminism back four decades”.

The backlash resurfaced a decade later when Carl Jr. nodded to the old playbook, featuring the TikTok star Alex Earl In a similar setting to the Super Bowl. This time she promoted a different burger but kept the bikini on, proving that the brand’s racy approach still sparks controversy.

2. Nationwide “The Boy Who Couldn’t Grow Up” (2015)

Shock value was the name of the game in Super Bowl XLIX, and Nationwide went all in on the dark side. The ad follows a child who supposedly died young, listing all the milestones he missed to sell insurance out of fear. The bad twist of the ad didn’t mesh well with football’s festive mood, leaving viewers uncomfortable and, in some cases, downright horrified.

3. 84 Lamber “The Journey Begins” (2017)

This politically charged ad certainly hasn’t aged well. Produced by a leading building supply brand, this dramatic narrative follows a mother and daughter crossing borders, focusing less on lumber and more on immigration.

84 Lumber aired just months after Trump’s inauguration in 2016, and may have failed to read the room, but the media didn’t. Fox refused to air the full version, sparking debates about where marketing ends and political messaging begins. the CEO She later confirmed that she supports Trump’s proposal Border wall With Mexico.

4. PETA “Last Longer” (2016)

NSFW? Try NSFSB. Animal rights group Beta She focused on the physical pleasures of one breast in particular in her 2016 Super Bowl ad: humans. The commercial titled “Lasts longer“,” Featured split-screen sex scenes comparing the sexual desire of vegan couples versus meat-eating couples (spoiler: the vegans won).

While some viewers found the ad funny, many were outraged by the sexual innuendo used to promote vegetarianism. CBS The steamy spot was eventually banned from airing on Super Bowl Sunday.

5. GM “Robot Suicide” (2007)

Conscious robot It may seem more acceptable today than it did in 2007, but the use of suicide as a means of advertising has not aged better. General Motors’ dark commercial is set to “All by Myself,” and features a robot being fired from the company before jumping off a bridge. What was supposed to be darkly humorous seemed deeply disturbing, and the automaker’s attempt to highlight its commitment to quality backfired.

Mental health organizations, including the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, have publicly condemned the ad, with growing He called it “recklessly irresponsible.”

6. Tim Tebow, “Focus on the Family” (2010)

Should there be a separation between church and playground? After backlash to Tim Tebow’s Super Bowl XLIV commercial, which was funded by the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family, the answer appears to be yes. The ad features Tebow’s mother, Pam, who claims she rejected medical advice about abortion, calling her son a “miracle baby.”

This stance has drawn sharp criticism for its promotion of pro-life religious philosophies in the mainstream media, with groups such as the organization National Organization for Women The feminist majority protests CBS for broadcasting it. CBS eventually ran the commercial, but it ignited a debate about religion, politics and marketing on America’s biggest stage.

7. “Tibet” compilation (2011)

Groupon wanted to sell curry, but its commercial in Tibet sparked controversy instead. In the 2011 Super Bowl ad starring Timothy Hutton, the company used The crisis in Tibet As a basic point to buy coupons online. The show begins by showcasing Tibetan culture, with a voiceover adding that the country is in trouble, before cutting to Hutton at a Tibetan restaurant light-heartedly admitting that they “still make a great fish curry,” which customers can get a discount on through Groupon. Many viewers and critics condemned the ad, saying the company crossed the line between humor and exploitation.

8. “AI vs. ChatGPT” Anthropy (2026)

The battle of robots is not quite what we imagined. To promote it Amnesty International Claude Opus 4.6 Instrument Anthropic went old school and poked fun at a competitor. The commercials mock OpenAI’s decision to add ads to ChatGPT with a personal trainer skit, complete with an automated voice delivering an unsolicited ad when a user requests a workout plan. By focusing on mocking a competitor rather than the AI ​​assistant itself, the ad sparked debate over whether the tactic was fair play. Even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had his say on the matter, calling it “Funny” but “dishonest”.