Most people tune into the Super Bowl just to watch the commercials. But some advertisers try to push the boundaries trying to air commercials that are a little too much for TV let alone the Super Bowl.
For many football and non-football fans, the best part of the Super Bowl is……..the commercials.
That’s because these ads — which cost companies millions every year — are never lacking in entertainment and humor. But sometimes, the ads go a little too far.
Today we present 20 Super Bowl Commercials The NFL Cancelled From Live TV.
20. Ashley Madison: Have An Affair
Ashley Madison is a Canadian online dating service, and they went all-in in trying to get on television for Super Bowl 43. Too bad NBC rejected this one.
This ad features a woman in an office writing on the board that her husband is a cheater. The commercial closes out with the controversial lines “Life Is Short. Have An Affair.”
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19. Charlotte McKinney in Carl’s Jr.
Instagram model Charlotte McKinney starred in a Carl’s Jr. commercial for Super Bowl 49. In the ad, McKinney is walking around catching the attention of the bystanders.
At the end, McKinney eats a Carl’s Jr. burger while donning a bathing suit. This ad was widely criticized by pundits for being offensive.
In an interview, McKinney later admitted that she was trying to distance herself from the ad, but that she also signed up for another Carl’s Jr. commercial.
18. SodaStream: Attacks On Pepsi and Coca-Cola
SodaStream pieced together a commercial that featured one Pepsi and one Coca-Cola delivery worker trying to race in dropping their products off at a supermarket. However, both men have accidents and spill bottles all over the place.
CBS refused to air the ad, believing it wasn’t kind to take shots at a pair of rival drink companies like that. Instead, an older SodaStream ad was aired over this Pepsi-Coke commercial.
Play nice, SodaStream.
17. Fantasy Video Greetings Falls Flat
This commercial didn’t have a whole lotta creativity, and it’s easy to see why many would be offended by it.
Annnnnnd yes, this3 Fantasy Video Greetings commercial was cut.
16. Tim Tebow: Focus On The Family Pro-Life
The Focus on the Family organization ran a commercial that starred former Heisman Trophy winner and future NFL quarterback, Tim Tebow. His mother, Pam, talked about how Tim was a miracle baby and emphasized how families need to be “tough.” Tebow then ran over and tackled his mother.
CBS came under fire for running the ad, which talked about the sensitive abortion subject. After all, the network had previously refused to put on ads that included divisive subjects like this. Nonetheless, CBS stood by their decision to run it.
15. Scarlett Johansson Stars In SodaStream
For Super Bowl 48, SodaStream gave it another go-around with their advertisements. This one finally made TV.
In the commercial, Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson drinks the product and says “Sorry, Coke and Pepsi.” That too raised controversy, given another apparent attack on the rival drink companies.
SodaStream executive Daniel Birnbaum did an interview with The Independent and apologized for the ad, calling it a “mistake” and saying they were sorry for spending millions on the commercial.
14. Rolling Rock Ricochet
Rolling Rock beer got a little too carried away for this advertisement they tried running for Super Bowl 41.
It starts with a game of baseball, where the batter hits the ball…which proceeds to hit the pitcher in the guy’s area. The ball then keeps bouncing around and hits different men in that area.
Obviously, not the most appropriate thing to put on television. Rolling Rock Ricochet just never had a chance.
13. Chrysler: Halftime In America
This ad by Chrysler was narrated by Hollywood icon Clint Eastwood. In the commercial, he narrates some of the problems the automobile industry has endured in the United States. He also talks about how the city of Detroit is going to rebound…and how the country’s second half “is just beginning.”
This commercial received a lot of heat, as some critics believed that the commercial was a way of endorsing Barack Obama, with the 2012 election coming up later in the year.
Eastwood would go on to endorse Mitt Romney for the election anyway, so that may have put some of the controversy for this ad to rest?
12. Powerade Zero Vs. Gatorade
For Super Bowl 43, Powerade Zero tried to display its superiority over Gatorade. This commercial featured two women — chugging down their drinks, with an elderly man watching in the background.
This commercial never made it to television.
11. Bud Light Swear Jar
Bud Light sure knows how to produce some high quality Super Bowl commercials, but this one didn’t make the final cut.
CBS refused to air this ad which featured a swearing jar segment in an office, where workers would throw in money any time they swore.
The funny part is, this ad actually won an Emmy for best commercial.
10. Groupon Ad With Elizabeth Hurley
You know a Super Bowl ad is NOT GOOD when the founder of the company decides he has to take ‘em down.
Such was the case with Andrew Mason, the man who founded Groupon. This one, featuring actress Elizabeth Hurley, offended many with its reference to deforestation.
Mason said “We hate that we offended people,” and offered an apology before Groupon took down the commercials.
9. Hobby Lobby – Take That
This Hobby Lobby commercial featured women referencing the Supreme Court’s decision which said the corporation doesn’t have to cover birth control. The corporation has spoken against the Affordable Care Act, and the court said because of religious exemption, Hobby Lobby doesn’t have to cover it.
So they had some fun on the commercial, with the message “Take That, Separation of Church and State!”
8. SalesGenie Pandas
For Super Bowl 42, SalesGenie ran an animated commercial featuring pandas with Chinese accents. Needless to say, it didn’t sit well with viewers.
SalesGenie was accused of using stereotypes and using “cheap” accents for humorous purposes. The SalesGenie CEO opted to pull down the ad after receiving so much backlash for it.
7. Bud Light: Apology-Bot 3000
Ah yes, another ccut advertisement by Bud Light.
The beer company has ran a series of “Apology-Bot 3000” ads over the years, where a robot, well, apologizes to somebody on a person’s behalf.
This one – featuring a chef who accidentally fed a customer poisonous food – never made it to the Super Bowl screen.
6. Daniel Defense Ad
The NFL refused to air an advertisement for Super Bowl 48, one where Marine veteran explains his need in order to protect his family.
The commercial was obviously cut, at least to the NFL. The league cut it and refused to air this Daniel Defense commercial for the Super Bowl. The creators of the ad defended it and said they tried meeting the NFL’s guidelines while putting it together. But their efforts didn’t work.
5. Ram Trucks: Built To Serve
Fiat Chrysler advertised its Ram Truck products in quite controversial fashion for Super Bowl 52. The commercial played portions of a speech from Martin Luther King, where he emphasizes the need for others to “serve” one another.
As King’s speech played, the commercial showed different ways of “serving” others.
But this commercial drew a lot of criticism, because some thought it wasn’t right to use MLK’s words just for a Ram Truck ad. On top of that, MLK himself was critical of specific advertisements. So yeah, Ram Truck may have gone a bit too far here
4. 84 Lumber’s The Journey
For Super Bowl 52, the 84 Lumber supplies company put up an ad that showed a Mexican mother and her little girl try and move to the United States, only to discover a wall that would keep them out.
Obviously, this was a reference to the campaign of Donald Trump, who has been pushing for a wall to be built along the US-Mexican border. Fox refused this one, but 84 Lumber put the commercial up on their website, and it went viral immediately.
Just not on Fox’s watch.
3. Durex Protection Ad
This was uh, quite odd.
It starts with a 73-year old man robbing a bank and shooting UP in the air, then he has flashbacks about his life which depict his troublemaking ways. It ends with the parents making love, with Durex REMINDING people to use protection.
The creepy tone and horror in the commercial bothered quite a few people. And here’s the punchline: The commercial was CUT
2. General Motors: Robot
In 2007, General Motors ran an ad that featured a factory robot jumping off a bridge, after it had made one tiny error.
Obviously, this rather heartless advertisement received plenty of heat. In fact, the AFSP spoke with General Motors, and convinced them to edit out of the commercial.
According to CNN, that commercial cost GM $5 million. Safe to say, it probably wasn’t the best way to spend all that dough.
1. Nationwide Insurance
In 2015, Nationwide Insurance ran a very sad yet somewhat powerful commercial. This at depicted a young boy learning that he wasn’t able to grow up, because he had already died from an accident.
The commercial then shows a series of accidents that could be dangerous to kids, including drowning, eating poisonous products and having a TV fall over them. Needless to say, this commercial was quite controversial and led to a ton of backlash.
