8 Kendall Jenner for Pepsi
In the midst of turmoil in America, fueled both by police violence, and an emerging Black Lives Matter Movement seeking to fix America’s deeply-rooted racism problem, Pepsi thought it appropriate to release an ad featuring Kendall Jenner “solving” all these intractable problems. Kendall Jenner was seen handing cops a can of soda in the middle of chaos in America.
The commercial was immediately criticized by people who took to the internet to destroy it. Pepsi was left with a bad reputation due to its diluted imagery, trivialization of a major problem, and the inclusion of a Kardashian for good measure.
7 Jean-Claude Van Damme for Total Flex Home Gym
Jean-Claude Van Damme was a Belgian actor, martial artist, and martial artist who pulled out of advertising for Total Flex Home Gym. Then he trash-talked the brand on his reality TV show Jean-Claude Van Damme: Behind Closed Doors.
Owned by Thane International, the company claimed damages of approximately $25 million. Van Damme showed up at the infomercial shooting without knowing his lines and even trying to use any equipment. Van Damme then took a lunch break, became frustrated with his inability to use the machine, and decided to quit the commercial via phone.