Advertising and marketing mess-ups of 2012

Major brands including Ikea, KitchenAid, Kit Kat and Urban Outfitters took an uncomfortable trip through the public opinion wringer in 2012. Companies ran advertisements referencing rape, offered discounts connected to devastating storms and employed mascots indirectly linked to child pornography. They misused social media, made controversial omissions and, on occasion, tried too hard to be funny. Here are some of the worst marketing and advertising decisions of the year.