Is GrabTaxi’s ‘Love Boobs?’ marketing campaign right?

So, GrabTaxi launched a marketing campaign that was definitely eye-grabbing. Problem is, it was controversial. People interpreted as crass and worse, sexist.

Their marketing tagline interests me. It’s risky, and gets more attention than a tagline that’s safe and mundane. But I do wonder what’s the bottom line for this.

• In marketing, is controversy worth it, even at the risk of diluting the message? What level of controversy is acceptable?
• What’s the KPI that GrabTaxi is after? Does the campaign lead to tangible benefits for the cause of breast cancer awareness, or is it starting the wrong conversations?
• Is it okay to potentially harm a cause (in this case gender equality), at the expense of a marketing campaign or even to further another worthy cause?

I’m interested to hear from marketers or anyone in the scene what you think.