Most versions of IKEA’s catalog featured homey images of domestic bliss – a father, mother and two children getting cleaned up in the bathroom, a family sitting down together at the dining table. The mailer from Saudi Arabia is nearly identical – except that all the women are missing. After consumers worldwide protested, IKEA Group issued a statement saying that its values “support the fundamental human rights of all people” and “do not accept any kind of discrimination.” IKEA Saudi Arabia is run by a franchisee outside the IKEA Group, the company said. It voiced regret over the decision to print the catalog and said it is now reviewing its routines for future issues.
Major brands including Ikea, KitchenAid, Kit Kat and Urban Outfitters took an uncomfortable trip through the public opinion wringer in 2012. Companies ran advertisements referencing rape, offered discounts connected to devastating storms and employed mascots indirectly linked to child pornography. They misused social media, made controversial omissions and, on occasion, tried too hard to be funny. Here are some of the worst marketing and advertising decisions of the year.
