This Christmas, Iceland’s Christmas ad never made into our screens. The budget retailer’s decision to partner with Greenpeace to present an ad condemning the destruction of rainforest habitat was banned by censors for being too political. However, thanks to its banned status, it became one of the most viewed adverts on social media over the festive season. 

Censors have been accused of curtailing creativity ever since they came into existence. In this episode the History of Advertising Podcast looks at two very different campaigns, one from Cosmpolitan and another from Benson and Hedges, who creatively navigated the censors to deliver provocative adverts.