Question: When designing an advertisement campaign how should one balance dignity and respect for offensiveness?

Nobody remembers the latest ad for McDonald's or Foldger's but I can tell you all about the "[black face Dunkin Donuts](http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/dunkin-donuts-apologizes-blackface-ad-not-everyone-sorry-152172)" ad or the "[Pearl Izumi run until your dog collapses](http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/running-shoes-magazine-ad-dead-dog-just-makes-people-really-sad-152336)" ad.

As a designer, who will undoubtedly take the blame for it - for example [the McDonald's You're Not Alone ad](http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/mcdonalds-apologizes-mental-health-parody-ad-it-says-it-didnt-approve-148498). 

When is it okay? How do future employers view this? On the one hand it is in a sense marketing genius --- no publicity is bad publicity. On the other hand it is often highly offensive or at the very least seen as tasteless. So as a designer when is it okay, what is the calculation? Particularly, if you're the one making the decision *(Answering when the client wants it, is not a complete answer)*.

Answer: 
I second Emilie in saying that everything will offend someone somewhere. Personally, I am pretty sick of people finding offence left right and centre. Some people are *looking for* things that will get their knickers in a twist, and as Alan so elegantly points out: pleasing everyone ends up in the bland, the invisible and - *at best* - mediocre work. And therefore not efficient communication or marketing.

Cultural preferences imposed from other countries and other cultures ideas of PC is incredibly annoying. *That* is offensive. I will not have USA, Italy, Uganda or Fiji telling me how *not* to make ads for Scandinavia.

You could say that this is really about a *communication language,* and do not forget that some level of offence can be very effective marketing. You can annoy some people, stereotype them; and this will strengthen the brand among those who sees themselves the opposite. You can be upset, offended or intrigued by the series of [**United Colors of Benetton,**](http://top10buzz.com/top-ten-controversial-united-colors-of-benetton-ads/) they will rarely leave you indifferent. Funnily enough, regarding United Colors, their clothes are pretty non-descript (though colourful), but the ads often makes people go rabid. I think you can annoy people and still sell them things: if you first annoy them, and then make them think.

I once saw an ad, with four gray, grave, boring, suited, miserable guys with the caption "the most colourful thing (accountants) Johnson, Hansen, Jensen and Nielsen did last year, was to switch to eco-friendly printing paper". I think accountants might find it funny too

Good ads makes you see things a little differently, they surprise you a little: enough to have your attention for a little bit. You cannot do this by pleasing everyone. Sometimes you have to be bold, be brave, and just go for it. Political correctness is too often stupid.
Great answers here, I just wanted to mention something that hasn't been raised yet (except in the question), and it's the matter of **dignity**. 

Humor, even if slightly offensive for a group or the other, is one thing. I love humor. Playing on people's weaknesses for the sake of profit is entirely different. I don't mind the 'colorful' Benetton ads, but I do not feel comfortable for example with the [Bosnian soldier ad](http://top10bay.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/bosnian-soldier1-300x198.jpg). We need to talk about war, yes. We need to talk about war so we can sell t-shirts, well, don't count me in. Now if it's UNICEF using pictures of poor little children to cause a reaction that's a different story. Is it ethical? Maybe they could find an alternative way of promoting what they do and get donations. But is the goal ethical? Yes, it is. 

Witty marketing ideas (products can in fact provoke feelings) is different from ruthless manipulation of emotions. 

But I guess for me it comes down to what are you trying to sell. I would never work for Monsanto, and I would never think of one of their ads as art, no matter how genius it is. I can't divorce what a company does/sells from the company itself. McDonalds stating their food is *healthy* is plain harmful. Can you oversee the sexist and borderline racist stereotyping of Axe's campaign [Make love not war](https://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCwQtwIwAA&url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63b4O_2HCYM&ei=ycg5U5vtOc7ukgXuyIDoAg&usg=AFQjCNGPN6OPQexNxwbDUb-mKt48h9LRvA&sig2=UaqCaZOYLcdUMI4RNUAudA)? No matter how nicely filmed it is, or how well executed the idea was, I can't.