10 Ads That Struck a Cultural Nerve in 2024

For better or worse, people had a lot of feelings about advertising this year.

Thanks to social media, advertisers can no longer launch their campaigns into a void, hoping their marketing investment later pays off in increased sales. Advertising is now a two-way street, and brands must be prepared at all times for consumer feedback.

Increasingly, that feedback is morphing into full-blown backlash at unprecedented levels. Whether it’s heightened tension in an election year, ongoing polarization, or anxiety around emerging technology, marketers are often wading into a heated environment when trying to reach consumers. 

Apple, Coca-Cola, Calvin Klein, and Bumble were among the brands that sparked emotion, criticism, and even outrage this past year.

Below, the ads that struck a cultural nerve in 2024.

NYX | Super Bowl 2024 ad

As a first-time Big Game advertiser, NYX learned the hard way that making jokes at the expense of men doesn’t sit well with the NFL. Its saucy and suggestive spot starring Cardi B and a bunch of goofy guys who misused its Duck Plump lip gloss to enhance their private parts was rejected by the league. Scrambling in the 11^th hour, NYX and McCann New York produced an edited—some might say neutered—version, while angry social chatter quickly pointed out the NFL’s hypocrisy. –T.L. Stanley

Green ‘weird’ billboard

In a standout example of Bratvertising, a pair of veteran ad creatives launched a digital billboard that added the Charli XCX treatment to a Democratic Party dis of the Trump-Vance ticket. Reading, simply, “weird,” in black text against a lime green background, the work cleverly combined viral memes in support of presidential candidate Kamala Harris. The unnamed creatives worked with Florida Immigrant Coalition Votes, spending a paltry $600 for the space in Palm Beach County, not far from Mar-a-Lago, for the zeitgeisty, IYKYK campaign. –T.L. Stanley

e.l.f. Beauty | ‘So Many Dicks’ 

Known for its playful, unexpected marketing, e.l.f. Beauty aimed its bold tactics squarely at the boardroom this year. Ads that took over ​​New York’s Financial District highlighted a startling fact: There are more men named “Dick” on U.S. public company boards than women or diverse groups. A cheeky tagline—“So many dicks, so few of everyone else”—struck a chord, and the campaign went viral. The campaign was in service of e.l.f.’s “Change the Board Game” initiative, which aims to double the rate of women and diverse members added to corporate boards by 2027. In the game of gender equality in corporate spaces, the beauty brand has emerged as a positive, fearless, and unmissable cheerleader. –Brittaney Kiefer

Swehl | ‘Just Add Milk with Molly Baz’

The internet erupted with cries of censorship after Swehl’s billboard starring cookbook author Molly Baz, her pregnant belly, a rhinestone bikini, and two lactation cookies was deemed too spicy for the masses. Critics said out-of-home seller Clear Channel, which flagged the ad for review, exercised a double standard by judging the representation of women’s bodies in advertising. Capitalizing on the support with messaging and events, Swehl saw its website traffic jump 500%, drawing in 40,000 new users. The ensuing furor eventually pulled in supplement maker Seed, which revived the banned ad in the same Times Square space, and later formula startup Bobbie, which produced a sequel of sorts with a breastfeeding Baz. –T.L. Stanley

Calm | Election Night ad

By saying nothing, Calm spoke volumes. The brand’s 30 seconds of pure silence, which aired on CNN and ABC during live coverage of the 2024 Presidential Election, instantly became a major talking point. The experimental approach, a risky creative tactic, was meant to give viewers an anxiety-busting respite from the night’s cacophony. It also played into the meditation app’s history of showing up during contentious political events with a conversational “we got you” sensibility. The bare-bones, lightly branded spot proved more effective than any elaborately produced, narrative campaign. –T.L. Stanley

Calvin Klein | Jeremy Allen White ads

This was far from the first skin-baring, super sexy Calvin Klein ad, and it won’t be the last. But it did kick off 2024 with a thirsty bang: the internet melted down while watching (and rewatching) The Bear star Jeremy Allen White strip down to his skivvies, cavort on a New York rooftop, and show off his chiseled physique while modeling stylish briefs from the brand’s spring collection. While the video became an example of double standards in acceptable marketing, it also did wonders for the skyrocketing 32-year-old actor’s popularity. It even made the red couch famous. –T.L. Stanley

Bumble | ‘We’ve Changed, So You Don’t Have To’

Dating app fatigue reached a fever pitch this year, and there is growing evidence that younger users are abandoning the apps in favor of meeting potential connections in-person. So some people eagerly anticipated Bumble’s rebrand, which in teasers claimed to address the needs of “exhausted” women. However, the subsequent reveal suggested Bumble had partly missed the point. The brand later apologized for billboards that read, “You Know Full Well a Vow of Celibacy is Not the Answer” and “Thou Shall Not Give Up on Dating and Become a Nun.” Critics said the ads ran counter to female empowerment by showing insensitivity to issues such as bodily autonomy, consent, the asexual community, and reproductive rights in the current U.S. political climate. –Brittaney Kiefer

Apple | ‘Crush’

It was supposed to be a sleek product demo for Apple’s new AI-powered iPad Pro. A hydraulic press flattens creative objects, including paint cans, cameras, and musical instruments, then lifts again to reveal Apple’s thin device. The cleverness of the ad’s craft was overlooked, though, in the ensuing uproar. Critics called the commercial “soul-crushing,” “disgusting,” and “destructive,” saying it represented technology’s threat to human creativity. As creatives fret about how AI will impact their professions, Apple unwittingly tapped into a widespread fear. The brand later apologized for the ad and pulled it from TV. –Brittaney Kiefer

Jaguar | ‘Copy Nothing’

Jaguar’s bold rebrand left many people scratching their heads. The luxury car brand replaced its fierce cat logo with a blend of upper- and lowercase fonts. There wasn’t a car in sight in the accompanying ad. Instead, the Avant Garde-style film featured a techno soundtrack and a diverse cast of models dressed in neon outfits. Jaguar’s new look prompted ire from fans, including X owner, Tesla CEO, and Donald Trump’s right-hand man, Elon Musk, who responded to the rebrand with the sarcastic question, “Do you sell cars?” Cue the outcry from Musk fanboys and conservative activists, who accused Jaguar of “woke” marketing. Or was Jaguar’s unexpected move necessary to revive a flagging business? Only time–and car sales–will tell. –Brittaney Kiefer

Coca-Cola | ‘Holidays Are Coming’ 

Distrust over AI was a big theme this year, and a few advertisers that used the technology failed to read the room. Case in point: Coca-Cola’s AI-generated remake of its classic Christmas ad, “Holidays Are Coming.” Like Apple’s “Crush” earlier in the year, critics interpreted Coke’s revamped commercial as a visual metaphor for the destruction of human creativity and connection at the hands of technology. Some said it was just a marketing gimmick. As Coke learned the hard way, it’s hard to reboot a beloved classic–and even harder when relying on an emerging tech that stirs up discomfort and anxiety among the general public. –Brittaney Kiefer