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badvertising
badvertising
Quick, Someone Develop Adblock For Online TV Commercials
(lumaxart)
The ratings company Nielsen--the company you can blame for bad stunt-casting and stupid plot devices during sweeps week--is going to start rolling in data from online viewings of commercials this fall, which means networks will start using online viewing stats to help sell ads this time next year. What this means: if a network uses the new Nielsen rating system, "shows seen online will have to have the same group of commercials that run on TV," reports AdAge. More »
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Ex-Cowboys Coach Jimmy Johnson Wants You To ExtenZe Your Own Johnson
One might think it would be embarrassing to shill for a non-FDA approved herbal "male enhancement" remedy. Jimmy Johnson doesn't think so. Is he broke or something? More »
12 Ads That Didn't Make It To The Super Bowl
If you can't actually manage to get an ad placed during the Super Bowl, the next best thing is to get it rejected by the network so you can make a big deal about it online. The Daily Beast has put together a list of 12 ads that were rejected for a variety of reasons. Well, actually in most cases it comes down to gay stuff, cussing, or sex. One thing you'll notice, though, is that most of the rejected spots aren't very well-made to begin with--I'd be happy if they were banned just for that. More »
Spirit Airlines Releases Another Naughty Sounding Promo
Last year Spirit Airlines had something called a M.I.L.F. Sale. They played it off as an accident, but I don't think anyone believed them. Now they're at it again, this time with an otherwise generic online ad that "accidentally" puts the word "muff" next to the word "diving." Hmm, maybe that customer service number that really directed callers to a phone sex line wasn't an accident, either. I bet if you fly Spirit Airlines and ask the flight attendants for some salted nuts, they burst into shameful giggles and run off. More »
Sorry, It's Not Cool To Use The President To Sell Coats
(Photo:Gothamist)
The Weatherproof clothing company got permission from a photographer to use a photo of the President wearing one of their coats at the Great Wall of China -- but they didn't ask the White House. If they had, they'd have been told where to stick their Times Square billboard. More »
Sex In A Commercial Is The Equivalent Of A Gambler's Tell
Over at Ditchwalk today, Mark Barrett points out that sex in mainstream advertising is a tell. There are two things it immediately communicates: that the product is "indistinguishable from its competition," and that it is generic. You don't have to stop appreciating libido-stirring images the next time a sexy ad airs (not that you probably could, anyway). But if you keep Barrett's advice in mind, you may start noticing that some companies are telling you more about their product than they probably mean to. More »
The Necky: A Smaller, Stupider Snuggie For Your Neck
The Necky is apparently for the person who keeps strangling himself when he tries to tie his scarf. There's nothing I can write about this that would make it more absurd than it is in real life, so just go watch the video if you haven't already. More »
Kraft HQ Lobby Sports Droopy Boob Joke
Female Kraft employees are "furious" and the men "embarrassed" by this ad inside their headquarters lobby, reports the ANIMAL blog. It has a mirrored surface and below that it says, "You look smashing, but your chicken breasts could use a lift," followed by an image of Shake N' Bake. Hidden behind that faceless oblong red white and blue logo, Kraft has got some cheeky pranksters! [ANIMAL]
Announcing Sportswear For America's New Sedentary Lifestyle
Back in 1951, American were clearly excited to no longer have to go outside in order to amuse themselves -- and McGregor was happy to provide them with sportswear designed specifically for "America's New Way Of Life." Couch potatoism. More »
Advertiser Stuck With Ironic Tiger Woods Ads Fires Him
Remember this ad? It was in the Wall Street Journal the day after Tiger Woods crashed his car and unleashed a torrent of trashy mistresses on an unsuspecting nation? Yeah, it was for Accenture. Now that company has decided that Tiger Woods is bad for its reputation. More »
For Those Of You With Blindfolded 10-Year-Olds: A Dishwasher
This advertisement, from 1966, makes us uncomfortable. More »
Why A Live Twitter Feed On Your Billboard Might Not Work Out
(Photo:Lagniappe)
According to Lagniappe, a local bi-weekly, the general manager and news director of the station have both been suspended over the incident. Harsh, man. Harsh. More »
This Freshly Shaved Deli Meat Is Making Me Uncomfortable
Maybe Oscar Mayer was thinking that folding the turkey that way would make shoppers think about turkey breasts. Maybe I have spent too much time in the more colorful parts of the Internet. Either way, I am not sure I could see this in the supermarket without doing a double take. And probably giggling. More »
British Airways Won't Fly You To India For $40
(Photo:zonaphoto)
If you happened to log onto British Airways' site Oct. 2, you could have bought a $40 flight to India. Well, you could have bought the flight, but wouldn't have been able to use the tickets because the airline said the offer was a mistake. More »
1936 Thanksgiving Camel Ad: Smoke After Each Course!
(Photo:LIFE)
This advertisement for Camel cigarettes appeared in the November 23, 1936 edition of LIFE magazine. It earnestly demands that you smoke a Camel after each course of Thanksgiving dinner -- "for digestion's sake." More »
Brooke Shields Has Hypotrichosis
Oh no! Brooke Shields used to have stringy, stick-figure eyelashes! I figured this out after watching Consumer Reports' video dissection of a new commercial for Latisse, the glaucoma medication that has been rebranded as an expensive, temporary eyelash enhancer with side effects. More »
This Grocery Store Bakery Price War Seems To Be Heating Up
We don't quite know what to say about this Mid-Atlantic regional grocery store bakery price war. It is intense, baby. More »
Bumblebee Tuna Tricks You Into Watching Commercials At The Grocery Store
Must we put video screens everywhere? Reader Grey says that he was fooled into pressing a button above a tiny video screen at his local Safeway — only to be subjected to a very low-res commercial for Bumblebee Tuna. More »
Woman Sues Toyota For Convincing Her She Was Being Stalked
It's probably a bad idea to market to consumers by tricking them with practical jokes. It's definitely a bad idea to make a consumer fear for her safety over a five day period because she thinks a stalker is coming after her. That's why a woman in Los Angeles is suing Toyota for $10 million after being on the receiving end of a Punk'd-style stunt to promote the Toyota Matrix. More »
Photoshopped Model Says Ralph Lauren Fired Her Because She Was Overweight
The Daily News says that photoshopped bobblehead model Filippa Hamilton says she was fired from Ralph Lauren because she was overweight at 5' 10" and 120 lbs. More »
