The 5 Most Controversial Billboards of 2024

This article was originally published in May 2024, and has since been updated with new information

The first billboard ads date back to 1835 when Jared Bell debuted 50-foot-high placards to advertise the Barnum & Bailey Circus in New York.

After nearly two centuries, giant posters remain popular among marketers, and as 2024 has shown so far, billboards still get people talking, even if it’s for the wrong reasons.

In 2024 posters from Bumble, Calvin Klein and Swehl have stoked controversy and headlines.

Stephanie Gutnik, global chief strategy officer at out-of-home (OOH) provider Billups, is no stranger to the medium’s power. She was recently part of the team behind an ad for the Los Angeles-based nonprofit AIDS Healthcare Foundation that got Coachella organizers hot under the collar.

She said multiple factors are driving more buzz around billboards, including the fact they’re no longer confined to highways or city squares. A poster can explode on social media feeds as soon as the vinyl is dry, leading to discussion around its content or placement. With more buyers and brands leaning into data to optimize their planning and creativity, too, this can lead to messaging being taken out of context.

Gutnik also said the most recent talking points demonstrate the powerful emotional response large-format “real world” advertising can unlock—sometimes for better (see: the bubblegum pink Barbie Movie billboard or The Ordinary’s minimalist ads) or sometimes in a way that provokes debate.

“The good news for marketers is that campaigns resonating positively receive plenty of earned media and incremental audience extension,” she added. “On the flip side, if the creative does not sit well with viewers, marketers need to be prepared.”

Scroll down to see the four most controversial billboard ads of 2024. These ads have encouraged debate and discussion and helped CMOs learn what their audiences truly stand for.

1. Regulators Ban Calvin Klein’s FKA Twigs Ad

The ad: An artsy black-and-white billboard for Calvin Klein features British musician FKA Twigs in a shirt draped across her body, revealing part of one breast and the side of her buttocks. The billboard also features the brand’s famous tagline, “Calvins or nothing.”

Why it got people talking: The ad was banned by U.K. regulators at the start of 2024 because it presented Twigs as “a stereotypical sexual object.” With support from fans, FKA Twigs protested the original ban herself, pointing to “other campaigns past and current” that remained uncensored, i.e., another poster for the brand fronted by Jeremy Allen White in boxers.

What happened next: The U.K. watchdog reversed its ruling concluding the ads were unlikely to offend based on objectification. However, it still decreed the imagery to be “overtly sexual,” and said the billboards should be banned so people under 16 years old could not see them in an “untargeted medium.”

2. Bumble’s ‘vow of celibacy’ fumble

The ad: A bright yellow billboard from the dating app Bumble featuring a smiling woman next to the copy: “You Know Full Well a Vow of Celibacy is Not the Answer.”

Why it got people talking: Critics said the ads were misogynistic, and chastised women for avoiding casual sex. Those who had chosen a celibate lifestyle were also down on the brand’s “tone deaf” and “patronizing” campaign, which was part of a wider multi-channel relaunch.

What happened next? The incident became known as “The Great Bumble Fumble,” leading the brand to withdraw the ad within days and issue an apology. “Our ads referencing celibacy were an attempt to lean into a community frustrated by modern dating and instead of bringing joy and humor, we unintentionally did the opposite,” a spokesperson said.

3. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation vs Coachella

The ad: A billboard placed about 15 miles outside Coachella, aimed squarely at the twentysomething revelers who’ve just partied for three days straight. “Catch More Than Vibes?” it asks, followed by a web address: “FreeSTDCheck.org.”

Why it got people talking: The billboard was the work of the LA-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF.) The nonprofit provides services to those with HIV and, as the billboard makes obvious, also guides people to free city-sponsored testing for other sexually transmitted diseases. Advertising partner Billups received a cease-and-desist letter from AEG Presents, the owner of Coachella promoter Goldenvoice, demanding the poster be removed.

What happened next? Legalities aside, the dust-up raised a separate issue that’s specific to marketing. When companies guard their brands this assiduously, they risk passing up a goodwill opportunity—in essence, a chance for some free advertising.

4. Molly Baz’s pregnant Swehl ad deemed too risque for Times Square

The ad: A 45-foot billboard for breastfeeding brand Swehl featuring cookbook author Molly Baz, her pregnant belly, a rhinestone bikini, and two lactation cookies covering her breasts.

The controversy: Not long after its debut, OOH owner Clear Channel Outdoor flagged the ad for review, saying the imagery violated its “guidelines on acceptable content.” In response, Swehl’s media partner Brex replaced the original shot with another image from the campaign, showing Baz in jeans and a crop top.

What happened next? The brand capitalized on the controversy to promote its message of empowerment, with co-founders Elizabeth Myer and Betsy Riley telling ADWEEK that Clear Channel’s adjudication underscored the double standards surrounding women’s bodies that persist in advertising. Post-furore, the business organized a New York “Hot Moms March” and noted a 500% increase in traffic to its website, drawing in 40,000 new users.

5. Molly Baz makes her return to Times Square with formula maker Bobbie

The ad: In a full circle moment, fast-growing startup Bobbie tackled a double dose of stigma—breastfeeding in public and swapping mother’s milk for formula—with a campaign fronted by Baz, and her baby Gio, post-Swehl media stir.

Why it got people talking: The billboard marked the first time Times Square had ever run an out-of-home ad starring a breastfeeding mother. Bobbie worked with Outfront Media for the placement, with the caveat that there would be “no nipple” visible in the ad. The brand had approval for the image within 30 minutes of submitting it.

What happened next: This ad certainly wasn’t as controversial as the Swehl campaign. In fact, it was widely lauded, having negotiated any censorship rules beforehand. “We’re not just doing out-of-home for its own sake, just selling product by showing tins of formula,” Kim Chappell, chief brand officer, told ADWEEK. “We’re doing it because we have something to say, and we want people to know who we are and what we stand for as a team of moms.”