Sisley — "Fashion Junkie" Cocaine-Snorting Campaign (2007)

Sisley's 2007 "Fashion Junkie" campaign depicted models snorting lines of white fabric resembling cocaine, glamorizing drug abuse so overtly that health organizations from the World Health Organization to local addiction charities universally condemned it. The ads, placed in 15 countries, were pulled after just two weeks, but not before generating over 1.5 million negative social media mentions—a figure that makes it slower than #6 in reaching peak outrage but more damaging in long-term brand trust. Benetton-owned Sisley spent $2 million on the campaign, yet the controversy caused a 12% sales drop in the following quarter and forced the brand to issue a formal apology. This ad sets a benchmark for irresponsibility, with no subsequent campaign in the luxury sector openly mimicking illegal behavior.