We here at Consumerist often get love letters and jewelry from admirers (Well, maybe not that often… or ever), but we have yet to be wooed with handwritten letters of affection and branded rings provided by a large fast food chain. [More]
Taco Bell Sends Bizarre Love Letters And Rings To Models, Actresses
By May 21, 2013
guerrilla marketingBefore last summer’s horrific fatal shootings at The Dark Knight Rises screening in Colorado, hiring costumed “gunmen” to walk into a crowded movie theater as a marketing stunt would have merely been a bad idea that might have made the local news. Post-Aurora, it’s the kind of idiotically ill-advised idea that results in multiple 9-1-1 calls and the theater having to apologize to outraged customers. [Reddit via Gawker]
The Reality Of This Red Baron Scramble Is That It Needs A Gallon Of Gravy To Be Edible
By May 6, 2013
There’s nothing quite like it — you walk past the box in the grocery store, and something catches your eye, sets your stomach a-rumbling. It looks so good, so delicious and tempting, you must buy it, own it, and devour it for your very own. But as Dave found out with a Red Baron breakfast scramble, taking off that persuasive packaging often reveals something much less desirable. [More]
Pepsi Pulls Mountain Dew Ads Following Complaints Of Racial Stereotyping, Violence Against Women
By May 1, 2013
A bizarre online ad for Mountain Dew, featuring a talking, abusive goat and a bruised and battered woman has been pulled by parent company PepsiCo following complaints. [More]
How Foursquare Is Turning Your Check-Ins Into Ad Revenue
By April 30, 2013
We never really understood the idea behind Foursquare. Then again we’ve never felt the need to broadcast our whereabouts to the rest of the world. Regardless, there are still plenty of people checking in at stores, bars, restaurants, and anywhere else you could imagine. But what’s in it for Foursquare? [More]
Advertisers Are Now Tracking Your Behavior Across Various Devices
By April 30, 2013
Think that your mobile browsing habits exist in a different world than the content and ads you view on your PC? Until recently, you’d have been correct, but now advertisers are coming up with ways to identify consumers across platforms in order to provide them with ads they might actually click on. [More]
Kellogg Denies Having Anything To Do With Pringles Reddit Posts
By April 29, 2013
Getting thousands, maybe millions of Internet users to view, like, share, and talk about your product isn’t easy. Any number of companies have tried to anonymously post “viral” content in the hope that it will spread quickly (and without having to pay for additional ads). And following a rash of funny/interesting Pringles photos popping up on Reddit, some users claim it’s a blatant marketing gimmick. [More]
Hyundai Pulls Awful Ad Showing Failed Suicide Attempt Using Car Exhaust Because It’s Awful
By April 25, 2013
UPDATE: Hyundai has issued a longer apology on its British Twitter page, reading: ”Hyundai understands that the video has caused offence. We apologise unreservedly. The video has been taken down and will not be used in any of our advertising or marketing.” [More]
Sometimes You Don’t Want Your Brand In A Popular Movie
By April 23, 2013
Companies fork over untold piles of cash to have their products featured on a TV show or in a movie — even going so far as to digitally insert ads in the far background of a sitcom rerun, but there are some cases where brands would probably rather not be identified with what viewers are watching. [More]
Wendy’s & McDonald’s Teach Readers Disappointing Lessons In Ads Vs. Reality
By April 18, 2013
Most of us know that what we actually get from a fast food eatery is never identical to what’s shown in the ads, and sometimes is similar in name only. We got used to knowing that a cheeseburger will never look as perfect as it does in the commercial, but with the recent addition of supposedly fancier menu items consumers are learning to prep themselves for more disappointment. [More]
Be Careful What You Tweet About Because It Will Now Determine The Ads You See
By April 17, 2013
UPDATE: A source at Twitter tells Consumerist that there are behind-the-scenes systems in place to try to prevent ads being served to users who have posted negative Tweets about a particular advertiser. Users can also report promoted Tweets that they feel are inappropriate or counter to their interests. [More]
McDonald’s Pulls Ad Since Crippling Depression Isn’t Quite The Same As Loving Big Macs
By April 12, 2013
While it might seem like your day is ruined if you can’t get a Big Mac, in no way is it the same as suffering from a mental illness. That’s a point McDonald’s apparently missed with a regional ad in the Boston area: It featured a familiar image of a distraught woman with her head in her hands with the copy, “You Are Not Alone.” Below it? “Millions of people love the Big Mac.” [More]
If You’re Not The GEICO Pig, You Should Probably Have Your Paper Insurance Card Handy
By April 2, 2013
Unless you’re like me and the sight of the GEICO pig on your TV has you instantly lunging for the mute button, you may have seen the ads where the porcine insurance shill blabs on about the convenience of having his insurance card on his smartphone. That’s nice and all, but it won’t currently fly in most states. [More]
4 Ways Retail Stores Are Monitoring Your Every Move
By March 27, 2013
From the second you pull into a store’s parking lot, you can be relatively certain there are electronic eyes on you. But we’re way past the days of black-and-white monitors to discourage vandalism and shoplifting. Today’s retailers follow you everywhere and know lots about you. [More]
Is This Comped Olive Garden Receipt The Real Deal Or Just Viral Marketing?
By March 27, 2013
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When a restaurant receipt story gets wildly popular online, it’s usually because a horrible customer leaves a rude message or because a restaurant staffer insults a diner, but occasionally it’s a happy story about an eatery doing something nice. Question is, are restaurants beginning to fake these stories for positive PR? [More]
Has Victoria’s Secret Already Pulled Controversial Teen-Targeted Collection?
By March 26, 2013
Earlier this month, Victoria’s Secret launched an ad campaign featuring the slogan “Bright Young Things” for its Spring Break collection. Included in this collection were items like panties with “call me” written on the front or “wild” on the rear end — all of which seemed to marketed toward teens. Not surprisingly, some parents were upset and the collection appears to have vanished. [More]
American Express, Where Carrying A Balance With An 18% APR Is A Perk
By March 25, 2013
Forget airline miles, cash back, rewards points, or any of that rubbish. American Express wants you to remember that the best way to take full advantage of your card is to carry a balance. [More]
Is Greenville, SC, Actually Getting Jetpacks Or Is This Just Cruel Viral Marketing?
By March 7, 2013
Earlier this week, billboards started popping up around Greenville, SC, advertising a new mode of transportation — or at least a form of transport that has been promised to us since the 1950s. [More]
