A good marketing campaign makes a company look smart. However, over the years, there have been some campaigns produced by famous brands which did not sit well with people. Here are four such examples, where the idea behind the marketing campaigns by famous brands failed miserably.
Marketing campaigns which failed
1) Pepsi “Jump In” campaign
Pepsi’s 2017 marketing campaign featuring reality star Kendall Jenner is considered one of the biggest campaign failures by the brand. The campaign depicted Kendall Jenner trying to keep the Black Lives Matters protest under control by offering a can of Pepsi. The message behind the advertisement did not sit well with many people worldwide. The campaign received major backlash on social media and was pulled down just after one day of its release. The brand had to apologize for the campaign and PepsiCo’s president Brad Jakeman resigned from his position and described the campaign as “the most gut wrenching experience” of his career.
2) Audi “Chinese Wedding” commercial
A campaign by Audi China about second hand cars sparked outrage due to its controversial content. The advertisement tried to channel the idea of checking out a car before purchasing it. Unfortunately, this was depicted by a mother in law checking out her future daughter in law by pinching her lips and pulling her nose. The campaign followed the tag line “An important decision must be made carefully.” The campaign saw a public outcry because of its comparison of women to cars. The backlash caused Audi’s China division to publish an apology on their WeChat account.
3) Dove “Body Positive Packaging” campaign
Dove’s long running real beauty campaign is popular among many and is well received. However, its 2017 body positive packaging campaign became a failure. Dove released a limited edition packaging in England, which tried to represent the diversity of female bodies. The Company released only 7 bottles from which women could choose one based on their body shape. The packaging compared women’s figures to abstract, shapeless bottles of soap. The campaign’s message behind the packaging and the limited representation of body types came across wrong and became a punchline on social media.
4) McDonald’s “UK TV Spot” commercial
The UK McDonald’s ran a commercial where a young boy talks about his late father and how they shared a love for McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sandwiches. McDonald’s received criticism for the campaign as people blamed the Company for exploiting grief to sell sandwiches. The backlash resulted in the commercial being pulled down permanently from all media sources.
If you think we missed any other failed marketing campaigns by any famous brand, comment below and let us know.
Bengaluru-based investment bank IndigoEdge, in partnership with entrepreneur Hitesh Ahuja, has launched PixelSky Capital, a secondaries fund targeting INR 400 crore. The fund will invest in eight late-stage tech and consumer companies expected to go public within three to four years, with cheque sizes of INR 40–50 crore each. PixelSky has already invested in beauty retailer Purplle and aims to close a second deal by June 2025.
The fund focuses on secondary transactions, allowing existing shareholders to sell stakes to new investors, providing liquidity ahead of IPOs. Founders have committed INR 10–15 crore, with additional capital coming from domestic family offices and startup founders. Final close is expected by March 2026.
Led by Hitesh Ahuja, who sold his foodtech startup Yumlane in 2023, and IndigoEdge cofounder Zerin Rahiman, PixelSky marks IndigoEdge’s expansion from advisory and proprietary investments into fund management. The firm has facilitated over 150 transactions worth around $3 billion and invested INR 25–30 crore as a limited partner in multiple VC funds. PixelSky is currently evaluating about 20 companies before finalizing its portfolio
Meta is developing its first true AR glasses, set to launch in 2027. Before the public release, employees will test the device starting in 2024. The company is also releasing new generations of Ray-Ban smart glasses in 2023 and 2025 with enhanced features like a “viewfinder” display.
Specifications and Features
The AR glasses are expected to feature OLED displays and Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets, offering sophisticated AR and AI capabilities. They will enable users to interact with virtual objects and project high-quality holograms of avatars onto the real world.
Design and Competition
Meta aims for a sleek design, potentially building on its Ray-Ban partnerships. The AR glasses market is competitive, with Apple and Google also investing heavily. Meta seeks to make its AR glasses a game-changer by offering a unique user experience.
Future Plans
In addition to AR glasses, Meta is expanding its VR offerings with new headsets like the Quest 3 and exploring other wearable technologies. The company is focused on reducing costs to make the AR glasses more consumer-friendly by launch.
MobiKwik is venturing into the stock broking sector with the launch of its subsidiary, MobiKwik Securities Broking Private Limited (MSBPL), following approval from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on March 3, 2025. This move aims to diversify MobiKwik’s offerings beyond its core digital payments services and compete with established players like Zerodha and Groww.
MSBPL will provide a range of brokerage services, including trading in shares, securities, commodities, and derivatives. The subsidiary has an initial capital of Rs 1 lakh, with plans for an additional Rs 2 crore investment to support its operations.
As MobiKwik enters this competitive market, it brings a substantial user base of 172 million and a merchant network of 5 million. Despite recent financial challenges, including a reported loss of Rs 55.2 crore in Q3 FY25, the company aims to leverage its existing infrastructure and user engagement to capture a share of the growing investment technology market, projected to reach $74 billion by 2030.
This strategic expansion aligns with MobiKwik’s broader goals of enhancing its financial service
