Controversial Adverts

Dolce & Gabbana - Same-sex kissing? Guaranteed to draw objections. The ASA received 89 complaints about this TV ad which showed a brief kiss between two men. Complaints about its general suitability were not upheld although the regulator decided that it should not be shown around programmes aimed specifically at children.

Pot Noodle - A man meets mates in a bar, trying to conceal a large brass horn he has in his trousers. Cue numerous puns and sexual innuendo ending with the slogan: "Have you got the Pot Noodle horn?" Over 620 objectors refused to see the joke. Complainants said the ads were tasteless and offensive however the ASA decided that the commercial was fine for post-watershed broadcast.

Mazda - In these commercials, mannequins are aroused by a driving experience. The advert concludes with a voiceover saying: "The all new Mazda 5. Surprisingly stimulating". The ASA received 425 complaints from viewers who felt the ads were demeaning to women. However, the ASA said the ads humorously presented the absurd notion that an inanimate object could be turned on in the first place. The complaints were not upheld.

Crazy Frog - The ubiquitous Jamster ads drew 298 complaints in 2005 for a variety of reasons. The commercials were annoying, the frog's genitalia was visible and the adverts, which appealed directly to children, did not make it sufficiently clear that in buying a single ringtone, mobile users would be subscribing to a long-term contract. The ASA ordered that a post-9pm restriction be applied to the ads in future.

Fanta - Incurring the wrath of parents everywhere was this commercial showing a number of people drinking and then spitting out the soft drink. The ASA received 272 complaints from those concerned about the effect on children's manners. It agreed that some might copy the practice and a post-9pm restriction was applied to the adverts.

Famous Advertising Slogans

Heineken: 'Refreshes the parts other beers cannot reach' - For over 30 years, this was Heineken's main advertising slogan in the UK until the campaign ended in 2005. Memorable ads include the My Fair Lady spoof; after a sip of Heineken, a posh woman is transformed into a Cockney: "The wort-ah in Ma-jork-ah don't taste like wot it ort'ah!" Genius.

Orange: 'The future's bright. The future's Orange' - Advertising agency WCRS created the Orange slogan and its hugely successful advertising campaign. Put simply, this is the phrase that made a brand…

Smash: 'For mash, get Smash' - Simple but extremely funny, clever series of adverts for a particularly unappetising product. It featured Martians rolling around laughing at people on Earth going to so much trouble for mash instead of just using Smash. The iconic strapline followed at the end.

Nike: 'Just Do It' - Dan Wieden, co-founder of agency Wieden+Kennedy, coined the now-famous slogan for a 1988 Nike ad campaign. It continues to be Nike's primary strapline today.

Famous Advertising Slogans

Frosties: 'They're grrrrrrrreat!' - Tony the Tiger has been linked to this cereal since it was first introduced in America back in the 1950s. Since then, generations of kids have heard him on the TV adverts.

Milk Tray: 'And all because the lady loves Milk Tray' - The concept owed more than a nod or two to James Bond. The Milk Tray man leapt from a moving train, plunged from a speedboat, jumped from a helicopter etc - just to give his girlie chocolates. The ads and the slogan disappeared in 2003 (probably due to political correctness). The new line? 'Now with extra mmm and ahh!' It'll never catch on…

Carling: 'I bet he drinks Carling Black Label!' - Hugely popular from 1989 onwards, one of the most memorable in the series was a spoof of classic Brit war flick The Dam Busters. In the ad, a German guard turns goalkeeper and 'saves' each of the bombs. The classic punchline followed his amazing feat.

Coca Cola: 'The real thing' - Without a doubt, this is my favourite ever Coca Cola advert; it's also one of their best and most iconic. Launching the slogan the company would use throughout most of the 1970s, 1971's 'Hilltop' featured a multi-racial cast and a song which became known as I'd Like To Buy The World A Coke. Re-recorded by The New Seekers as I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (in Perfect Harmony), it became a worldwide smash.

Controversial Adverts

Quorn - A young girl threatens her brother with a fork if he eats her Quorn: "Touch my food - feel my fork," she says. The ASA received 181 objections; complainants said the advert was irresponsible and condoned bullying but the watchdog disagreed. It felt the adverts were a light-hearted portrayal of family life and the complaints were not upheld.

Carphone Warehouse - Remember the ads purporting to offer their broadband service 'free forever'? The commercials drew 145 complaints from customers and competitors. At the time, John Petter, chief operating officer at BT Retail said: "A service costing more than £250 a year, with a £29.99 connection fee, a £120.00 annual rural surcharge [for those without access to a qualifying exchange] and premium rate helpdesk simply isn't free." The ASA agreed and judged the advert misleading.

Kellogg's - The ASA received 96 complaints about this Crunchy Nut ad featuring a man riding a dog. Objectors claimed it portrayed cruelty to animals. Kellogg's said the ad was clearly surreal and that no dog was actually ridden during filming. In addition, the advert was scheduled after the watershed and included an on-screen warning telling viewers not to try the stunt at home. The ASA agreed with Kellogg's and the complaints were not upheld.

French Connection - The ASA received 127 complaints about this advert; it featured two women exchanging kicks and punches, culminating in a kiss. Apparently, the idea was to symbolise the competition between fashion and style. The ASA decided that the fight was highly stylised and did not glamorise violence. They also said that the kiss was fine and as the advert was being shown after the watershed, the complaints were not upheld.

KFC - Believe it or not, this is currently the most complained about advert in UK TV history. It got 1,671 complaints and it doesn't have sex, violence or bad language. Hundreds of parents were annoyed at the depiction of workers singing with their mouths full of KFC in 2005. However, the ASA decided that the ad wouldn't undermine the teaching of good manners and the complaints were not upheld.

Famous Advertising Slogans

L'Oréal: 'Because you're worth it' - L’Oréal's famous advertising slogan was formerly 'Because I’m worth it'. It is currently 'You're worth it' and the list of celebrities pushing products includes Penelope Cruz, Andie MacDowell and Aishwarya Rai.

Mr Kipling: 'Exceedingly good cakes' - For well over 30 years, Mr Kipling's cakes, pies and baked goods have been branded with the slogan 'exceedingly good'. It's a campaign that has been 'exceedingly' successful.

Audi: 'Vorsprung durch Technik' - What does it mean? It's German for advancement through technology (or head start through technology…something like that). It has been used by the Audi marque since the 1970s.

Budweiser: 'Whassup!' - Just some guys hanging out, drinking a bud and saying 'whassup' to each other. A simple premise that spread like wildfire across the world; in the early noughties, everyone was saying 'whassup!' to each other (Thierry Henry even made it part of a goal celebration). It remains one of the most spoofed and referenced ads of recent times.

Controversial Adverts 2

Oasis - Intended for a long run, viewers were supposed to be deciding the fate of Cactus Kid and his girlfriend via a tie-in website. However, 32 complaints to the ASA in 2008 were enough to nix the campaign. The watchdog upheld objections that the ads condoned teenage sex and suggested Oasis, made by Coca-Cola Great Britain, was a substitute for water. Coca-Cola told the ASA that the campaign was removed from reality, used edgy humour aimed at its target audience and was not intended to be offensive.

Heinz Deli Mayo - This advert depicted 'mum' as a Robert De Niro-type character. As the brand fell foul of Ofcom's guidelines relating to products that are high in fat, salt and sugar, it had an 'ex-kids' restriction meaning that it couldn't be shown in or around children's programming. But that didn't stop around 200 complaints from viewers who deemed the smacker between the two men offensive and inappropriate. After less than a week on air, Heinz withdrew the ad in June 2008.

Trident Chewing Gum - In 2007, 519 complaints were received about this 'mastication for de nation' advert. Those who objected said the ad played on a negative stereotype. It featured a minstrel-like man speaking in a faux Caribbean accent. The ASA decided the adverts did not incite racial discrimination but acknowledged that some viewers had been unintentionally offended.

Department Of Health - The 'get unhooked' advert, aimed at getting people to quit smoking, was 2007's most complained about TV commercial. It prompted 774 complaints due to the fish hook pulled through the cheek of the smokers portrayed on screen. Those who complained said the adverts were offensive, frightening and distressing. The ASA upheld some of the complaints.

MFI - Families feel so at home in the stores that they start having arguments. That was the thinking behind these commercials for the now-defunct furniture giant; it drew 217 objections in 2007. The ASA upheld complaints about one of the adverts because it showed a woman slapping her husband across the face for leaving a toilet seat up. It did so on the basis that the slap could be seen as condoning violence.

Classic Ad Tags

Mars: 'A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play' - Hooray for the resurrection of Mars' classic advertising slogan after a 13-year absence. Mars first used the slogan in 1959.

Heinz Baked Beans: 'Beanz Meanz Heinz' - The Heinz line was created in a pub in 1967. The original jingle went: 'A million housewives every day, pick up a can of beans and say, Beanz Meanz Heinz.'

Guinness: 'Good things come to those who wait' - This tag was first used in 1998 for the Guinness commercial in which an aging sportsman swims to his brother's pub. However, it came into its own with the iconic 'Surfers' ad which has topped numerous 'Best Advert Ever' lists.

Kit Kat: 'Have a break. Have a Kit Kat' - For over fifty years, Kit Kat has been advertised on TV with this famous strapline. Memorable adverts include the 'Dancing Pandas' in 1987 featuring a hapless photographer's attempt to snap the animals in a zoo.

Hamlet: 'Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet' - An awkward or embarrassing situation. The music kicks in (Bach's Air on the G String). A match strikes and the audience hears the strapline. The slogan and the entire campaign was created in 1966 and ran for over 20 years.

Flake: 'The crumbliest, flakiest milk chocolate in the world' - The most innuendo-laden adverts in the world…probably. Launched in 1959, the Flake Girl ads remain one of the UK's most iconic; a gorgeous girl, a phallic-shaped chocolate - what's not to love? By the way, the new Flake Girl is singer Joss Stone.