World Social Media Day: Old Shock Value Ads That Would've Gone Viral Back Then

Controversy has always had a front seat (recliner) in fashion's hall of fame. Well, fashion, beauty and the whole surrounding shebang. In fact, for decades, various ads and campaigns have tapped into the pulse of provocation and unintentionally entered a fencing duel with chaos. But what they all share is a bold refusal to be boring. And frankly, isn’t that the point of it all?

Today, on World Social Media Day, we look back at the ads that would've broken the internet and gone viral long before Instagram was even an idea.

United Colors of Benetton: The AIDS Campaign, 1990

Deemed controversial at the time, United Colors of Benetton carried a message-heavy ad in a bid to de-stigmatise AIDS back in the 90s. Capturing gay activist David Kirby’s death with family members mourning his passing in a heartbreaking image–the original aka the black-and-white image was initially published in LIFE magazine and later colourised by United Colors of Benetton employing artist Ann Rhoney to repaint the scene. What ensued were raging demands of boycott by the public, which were swiftly rebuffed by Kirby’s family extending support for the brand. 

Gucci Spring/Summer 2003

Ally eyes on the 'Public Enemy' campaign shot by Mario Testino that featured supermodel Carmen Kass. The problem? Her pubic hair–groomed skilfully into a ‘G’ standing for the brand's initials, obviously. What it aimed to do is redefine hetero dynamics in a playfully erotic setting. What ended up happening, was well…the argument around commodification. You see, this landscape is tricky by nature. Sexual empowerment often involves provocation sans a filter–so who gets to be the proprietor of intent? That’s still open to debate, but what’s of note is how this ad developed a cult following over the years. I personally quite enjoy it.

Sisley's Fashion Junkie Campaign, 2007

Disclaimer: Substance abuse and addiction is harmful, kindly seek medical help if dealing with the same.

Meant to offer a satirical take on the heroin-chic culture of the 90s, this visually potent campaign by Sisley was quickly touted as a ‘bad ad,’ not receiving enough credit for intelligent storytelling. See, right off the bat, one finding it repulsive is the gag here–and the white in the picture is obviously a dress, not coca*ne, if it weren't that obvious. Fashion has been long notorious for its drug culture and the brand played on that very sentiment by calling the models fashion ‘junkies.’

Calvin Klein, 1992

Kate Moss was 17 here. Mark Wahlberg, clearly not a minor. Both have since expressed some discomfort as the images required a certain level of nudity which obviously grabbed eyeballs in 1992. Moss went on to front multiple Calvin Klein ads later, as she rose to fame as one of the biggest disruptive supermodels of our generation while the brand stayed true to its sexy messaging. Thank you, Jeremy Allen White and Bad Bunny.

Tom Ford’s First Fragrance For Men, 2007

Tom always added sex to the equation, albeit sometimes a bit too much? Shot by Terry Richardson, this unmissable shot featuring Ford’s men’s perfume bottle tucked in-between a pair of round, clearly surgically-altered pair of breasts puts forth an obvious case of universal sex appeal, repackaged in a well-oiled narrative. Honestly, the creativity here was a bit of a dud. It just screams 'buy this if you want more women to straddle you'. I'll pass.

Donna Karan’s ‘In Women We Trust’ campaign, 1992

Featuring model Rosemary McGrotha, this image, shot by iconic photographer Peter Lindbergh depicted a new and different kind of Presidential inauguration and Oval office. One that symbolised female empowerment as the newly sworn-in POTUS wearing Donna Karan’s sharply tailored suits. In a world of white, male-dominated politics, this was seen as a progressive take–much to the dismay of those wearing the badge of sexism as an honour. What really sucks is the fact that it’s been over 33 years since this ad went live and yet, the United States of America still hasn’t had a female POTUS. Eyeroll.

‘Got Milk?’ Campaign featuring Lisa Kudrow and Jennifer Aniston, 1996

Heralded by the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB), to reverse the reign of sodas over milk in the 1990s, the board devised a star-studded campaign. One starring Lisa Kudrow and Jennifer Aniston particularly stands out with both Friends stars lensed in laid-back casuals and a frothy milk moustache–the latter being a mainstay in all their campaigns. Visually, it’s quite funny if you ask us, but it did stir up divisive conversations aplenty, with vegans expressing flagrant disappointment over the promotion of milk. 

Diesel Jeans, 1994

Photographed by visionary photographer David LaChapelle, this campaign was way ahead of its time considering how the early 90s screamed homophobia, at least in mainstream messaging. Featuring real-life couple Bob Paris and Rod Jackson in sailor uniforms, capturing them in the midst of a passionate kiss was a wholesome yet perceivably a bold act, back then. Despite breaking up a few years later, their Diesel stint propelled them as symbols for gay marriage and gay rights for years to come. So cute.

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