9 Most Controversial OOH Ads of 2024

By Amber Larkins, OOH Today

Out-of-Home is an infinite canvas of possibilities. But just because you can do just about anything you would like risks alienating the public you’re trying to reach, and sometimes the censors get it wrong. Occasionally, bad actors get their hate messages out as well. 

Here’s a round-up of outdoor ads that sparked controversy, conversation, and in some cases, a need to relook at how to prevent similar incidents in the industry:

1. Breast Feeding in Times Square

When Influencer Molly Baz showed off her pregnant body on billboards in Times Square, Clear Channel flagged the ads and took them down. The ad in question showed Baz topless and heavily pregnant, with lactation cookies covering her breasts. 

Probiotic company Seed stepped in, and offered Baz space on one of their Times Square billboards owned by Lightyear Media. Lightyear Media offered Baz’s ad additional free media space and time for free. 

2. Dick Graffiti Encouraged

Curb Your Enthusiasm, a Max tv show featured an OUTFRONT billboard on an episode in its 12th season. To promote the show, Max posted the same ad on the real-life billboard featured in the episode. The next morning, the ad had been vandalized in the same way as its fictional counterpart-with graffitied dicks. OUTFRONT opted to let the graffiti stay for a few days to soak in the cultural moment.

3. Vagina Vitamins

There’s often a stigma around publicly discussing certain parts of the body. OUTFRONT Media is helping to reframe the narrative surrounding the vagina and women’s health with a new campaign in collaboration with O Positiv.

The campaign tackles the stigma around the female reproductive system and the critical conversations it represents. The Out-of-Home creatives feature a bold red background with messaging that says, “VITAMINS FOR YOUR VAGINA,” along with images of their URO and MENO vitamin products.

4. Bumble Says No to Vows of Celibacy

Bumble, a dating app that self-describes as designed for women, launched a rebrand April 30, 2024 that did not go over well. Billboards featured images of women with messages including, “You know full well a vow of celibacy is not the answer” and “Thou shalt not give up on dating and become a nun.”

The ads received significant backlash on social media platforms, leading to Bumble announcing it would be donating its remaining time on the advertising space to nonprofits.

5. AHF Coachella Controversy

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) installed a billboard near the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, promoting FreeSTDCheck.org with the message “Catch More Than Vibes?” Coachella organizers demanded its removal, claiming the artwork resembled their copyrighted imagery, threatening legal action if not taken down within 48 hours.

AHF argued the background image was legally purchased and believed the real concern was the billboard’s negative portrayal of the festival. Emphasizing public health, AHF refused to remove it, prepared to defend their position, and issued a press release. Coachella organizers eventually did not pursue further legal action, allowing the billboard to remain.

6. Stop Hiring Humans

In December 2024, AI startup Artisan launched a provocative out-of-home (OOH) advertising campaign in San Francisco with messages like “Stop Hiring Humans” and “Hire Artisans, not humans.”  These ads promoted their AI sales agent designed to automate early sales processes, directly challenging traditional human roles.

The campaign sparked global outrage, gaining traction on platforms like Reddit and generating millions of impressions, numerous death threats, and extensive media coverage. Artisan’s founder and CEO, Jaspar Carmichael-Jack, noted that instead of mitigating the controversy, they amplified it by reposting the campaign across various subreddits, effectively turning critics into unwitting marketing allies and extending the campaign’s momentum beyond initial expectations.

7. FKA Twigs Objectified?

In January 2024, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banned a Calvin Klein advertisement featuring British singer FKA twigs, asserting that the image presented her as a “stereotypical sexual object.” The poster depicted FKA twigs with a denim shirt partially covering her body, revealing part of her breast and the side of her buttocks, accompanied by the caption “Calvins or nothing.” The ASA deemed the ad “irresponsible and likely to cause serious offence,” leading to its prohibition.

Following public criticism and a response from FKA twigs, who expressed that she did not identify with the ASA’s characterization, the regulator reassessed its decision. In March 2024, the ASA revoked the ban, acknowledging that the image was not sexually explicit and portrayed FKA twigs as confident and in control, concluding that she had not been objectified.

8. RACIST MESSAGING – White Supremacist Make it Through Filters

In April 2024, white supremacist group White Lives Matter Michigan exploited automated digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising systems to display hate speech on billboards in Michigan, coinciding with Hitler’s birthday. The offensive content included racist imagery and messages glorifying Hitler. The group claimed responsibility for the ads on social media.

Billboard4Me, an automated billboard-buying service owned by Roland Outdoor, facilitated the placement of these ads. The company stated that the messages bypassed their filters due to their discreet nature and were promptly removed upon discovery. This incident highlights significant vulnerabilities in automated DOOH systems, emphasizing the need for enhanced screening processes and human oversight to prevent the dissemination of harmful content.

9. RACIST MESSAGING – OUTFRONT HACKED

In October 2024, electronic billboards owned by OUTFRONT Media in Northbrook, Illinois, were hacked to display antisemitic messages, including “F*** Israel” and “DEATH TO ISRAEL,” against a Palestinian flag background. The incident coincided with the Jewish holiday of Sukkot and was condemned by local officials.

OUTFRONT Media responded promptly, shutting down the compromised billboards by 7 p.m. and confirming the hack through statements on their social media platforms. The messages falsely claimed to be paid for by “Mr Beast LLC,” a reference to the YouTuber MrBeast, who denied involvement and contacted authorities.