Sex, drugs, and advertising restrictions

This Christmas, Iceland’s Christmas ad never made into our
screens. The budget retailer’s decision to partner with
Greenpeace to present an ad condemning the destruction of
rainforest habitat was banned by censors for being too political.
However, thanks to its banned status, it became one of the most
viewed adverts on social media over the festive season. 


Censors have been accused of curtailing creativity ever since
they came into existence. In this episode the History of
Advertising Podcast looks at two very different campaigns, one
from Cosmpolitan and another from Benson and Hedges, who
creatively navigated the censors to deliver provocative
adverts.