Dumbest moments in business

Not one, not two, but three car companies were tied to shockingly offensive ads this year. We're talking tied-up women, suicide jokes and overtly racist songs.

Perhaps the most jaw-dropping example came in March, when ad agency WPP created a tasteless Ford ad mockup: three women bound and gagged in the back of a Ford Figo driven by former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi. Ford (F) was quick to point out the drawings were part of a "creative exercise" uploaded to a website -- not an actual, paid campaign -- but both the car company and the ad agency apologized.

Meanwhile, over at Korean automaker Hyundai, someone thought it was a good idea to run an ad of a man attempting to commit suicide with exhaust fumes from one of its SUVs. The punch line: The SUV runs on hydrogen and, therefore, emits only water vapor, so the man can't kill himself. Hilarious, right?! Cue another apology.

And in Canada, General Motors pulled a TV commercial that featured a 1938 song titled "Oriental Swing," which featured lyrics offensive to people of Chinese ancestry. (We mean really bad. Sample lyrics: 'Ching, ching, chop-suey, swing some more!'") - J.P.

Watch: Racist, sexist and just plain dumb car ads