(Image credit: @antisxg via X)

Commuters appalled by accidental optical illusion ad

by · Creative Bloq
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TFL recently caused a stir when commuters spotted a public safety ad that appeared to depict a woman in a hijab with the tagline "Are they trying to hide something?" The controversial design was met with a mixture of confusion and outrage, forcing TFL to respond.

While the best adverts often spark conversation, TFL's controversial ad has ignited the wrong kind of public engagement. With its unintentionally ambiguous design, the ad demonstrates why the Corporate Memphis art style might not be the best choice for PSA ads.

The design in question is supposed to feature a man looking over his shoulder, but thanks to the featureless style of Corporate Memphis, some commuters saw otherwise. "Disgusting insinuation in this campaign. Absolutely appalling," one X user wrote. "Suspicion, paranoia and ethnically ambiguous abstract art - 1984 is here in full force," another added, while another joked, "This is a wonderful Rorschach test."

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Since the ad was clearly misinterpreted by many, TFL was forced to respond, informing the OP that the poster was being investigated. It later claimed the poster had been "installed without TFL's permission."

"Our media partner, our teams and contractors have been instructed to inspect trains and remove any unauthorised posters that are found on our network. The incident has been reported to [British Transport Police] as flyposting is an illegal activity," TFL explained in a now deleted X post.

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While the origin of the ad remains unclear, the controversy points to a wider issue with ad campaigns. Creating the right language and visual tone is key to a successful campaign, and this ad (whether fake or not) completely missed the mark. Paranoia-inducing copy and ambiguous design created a recipe for disaster, and now TFL have to deal with the fallout.

For more ad controversy, take a look at why 2026 is the year of the cancelled ad, or check out why Sydney Sweeney's racy ad sparked a Gen Z culture war.

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