Hasta La Creative!

Back in January, we half expected a fuss to be made over an assassination-themed Burger King ad from Europe. But no, it turns out it’s this pervy “Airport” ad from the same campaign that’s causing belated indigestion—having apparently appeared on BK tray liners in Amsterdam. The effort as a whole (which includes two other ads, “Red Light District” and “Halloween”) seems explicitly designed for controversy. I can’t say I’ve seen a fast-food campaign that takes on prostitution, murder and anal-cavity searches in one blow (not to mention vegetable porn mags, porn fliers, a pepper getting a blow job, and a vegetable holding a baby over a railing, “Michael Jackson style”). Are the ads less offensive because they’re cartoons? Or is that even more of a problem, given that kids probably love them? In the end, the best question might be, Aren’t they simply in bad taste?

—Posted by Rebecca Cullers