12 Teen Magazine Ads That Were Wildly Inappropriate
Here's a nostalgic yet cringeworthy dive into teen magazine ads that pushed boundaries way too far.
- Chris Graciano
- 3 min read
Teen magazines of the ’90s and early 2000s were filled with colorful spreads that seemed harmless; until you really looked at the ads. From suggestive imagery to questionable marketing tactics, some of these campaigns would never fly today. Here’s a list of 12 wild ads that remind us just how different (and bizarre) that era really was.
1. The Perfume Ad That Looked Like a Date Gone Wrong
SenseiAlan on Unsplash
This glossy fragrance ad showed a teen girl leaning uncomfortably against a wall while an older guy loomed over her. The vibe was less romantic and more unsettling.
2. Sugary Cereal Posing as a Weight-Loss Snack
clotho98 on Flickr
One ad pitched a bright, marshmallow-loaded cereal as the ultimate “diet” food for teen girls. It suggested skipping meals and eating the cereal to stay slim.
3. The Makeup Ad That Sexualized Acne
rchappo2002 on Flickr
A cosmetic company once ran an ad where a girl licked her lips while pointing to her “pimples,” claiming their product would make her “kissable.” It blurred the line between skincare and flirting in the most uncomfortable way.
4. Low-Rise Jeans With a Creepy Twist
Kaboompics.com on Pexels
This denim brand photographed models with their underwear exposed while crouching in suggestive poses. It was meant to be “rebellious,” but for a teen audience, it felt way too adult.
5. A Cell Phone Ad Featuring a Fake Sext
PickPik
Before smartphones, one flip-phone brand ran an ad showing a “secret” text that hinted at risqué messages. The implication for a teen magazine audience was shockingly forward.
6. A Lip Gloss Ad That Compared Girls to Candy
Daniel Yanes Arroyo on Flickr
The glossy ad showed close-ups of teenage lips alongside the phrase “Good Enough to Eat.” While it was supposed to be playful, the innuendo was way too mature for a teen audience.
7. A Diet Pill Ad in a Prom Issue
Nesster on Flickr
This ad featured a girl in a prom dress holding a tiny bottle of diet pills, with the line “Be the Skinniest One in the Room.” Teen readers were bombarded with unhealthy beauty standards disguised as lifestyle advice.
8. The Beachwear Ad With Creepy Adults
Steven Martin on Flickr
A swimsuit company once ran a campaign showing teenage girls in bikinis being watched by older men with sunglasses. It was presented as “fun in the sun,” but the undertone was downright disturbing.
9. A Soft Drink Ad That Encouraged Cheating
SenseiAlan on Flickr
This soda ad showed a teen girl sipping a cola while texting two different boyfriends with the line, “Some rules are meant to be broken.” While meant to seem rebellious, it pushed a message of dishonesty and toxicity in relationships; hardly the message for impressionable readers.
10. The Fast Food Ad That Glorified Starvation
sdobie on Flickr
A burger chain bizarrely promoted a new “tiny” slider by showing a skinny girl holding the food and saying, “Stay small, eat small.” Not only did it connect fast food to diet culture, it made body image issues a casual marketing tactic.
11. A Nail Polish Ad That Imitated Self-Harm
Nesster on Flickr
Shockingly, one beauty brand showed a hand with streaks of red polish resembling scratches, paired with the tagline “Beauty Hurts.” It was meant to be artsy but was widely criticized for evoking self-harm imagery in a teen magazine.
12. The Clothing Brand That Invited Voyeurism
Мария Волк on Unsplash
The final ad showed a teen model changing behind a locker door, with the line “Are You Looking?” It leaned entirely on peeping-tom vibes for attention. For a teen-focused brand, it was one of the most inappropriate campaigns of its time.