"The commercial is an utterly offensive, childishly obvious attempt to resuscitate a badly battered reputation for purely commercial purposes with what I'm sure somebody imagines to be one 'bold stroke, '" says Martin Puris, a longtime ad agency executive who is now CEO of Engine USA, an integrated communications company in New York.

FORBES: Reputation Management

In fact, I would dare say the images of black men in many of Tyler Perry's movies, which are widely supported by the black community, are far more offensive than what I saw in that commercial.

CNN: What's racist about a talking goat?

Some of Wal-Mart's workers, who have been protesting wages, benefits and workplace conditions through a group called Organization United for Respect at Walmart, which has ties to the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, were critical of the coming ad offensive.

WSJ: Wal-Mart Ad Campaign Touts 'American Success Story'