Adults between ages 18 and 49 are advertisers’ favorite demographic, but television networks have a huge problem. Every year, those adults watch less and less prime-time TV, and when they do it’s often on a DVR that lets them zip through the commercials or months later on an ad-free streaming service like Netflix. So without all those eyeballs to advertise to, how are TV networks able to stay on air? [More]
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Just Because Your Electric Toothbrush Makes A Lot Of Noise Doesn’t Mean It’s Effective
By 4.26.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
Much like the never-ending game of oneupmanship in the razor industry, makers of toothbrushes are constantly touting unique features that promise to make your teeth that much whiter and brighter than the competition. But now one ad industry watchdog is calling foul on a commercial that implies a noisy toothbrush is somehow more effective at cleaning your chompers. [More]
Feds Warn Social Media ‘Influencers’ To Stop It Already With The Stealth Ads
By 4.19.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
Like it or not, the fact is that we’ve crossed through the mirror into a world where people are paid lots of money to mention a product, wear an article of clothing, or sip some ab-tightening tea… not because they are famous but because they get paid lots of money to mention products they got for free, wear comped clothing, and drink dubious tea — a well-dressed, flat-tummied, ouroboros shown off in impeccably framed and filtered Instagram shots. You might find it repellant, but it’s legal, so long as all of that cash and compensation is adequately disclosed — a message that a number of “influencers” and their handlers have either ignored or not received. [More]
McDonald’s Creates Clickbait TV Ad That Mentions Google, Coke, But Not McDonald’s
By 4.18.17
An actress in a yellow dress stands in front of a red curtain. She tells you about Coke and about Google, but it’s not a commercial for either of those things… and you’ll have to search a catch phrase to find out what it is for. It is, apparently, “unbranded marketing” for McDonald’s… but will it work? [More]
What Is Digit, And Why Are Users Upset That It’s Charging A Fee?
By 4.14.17 — Updated: 5.9.17
Maybe you’re familiar with Digit, an app that analyzes your bank account and tucks away money that you won’t miss. The app has a lot of fans, who credit it with helping them build more savings than they would have on their own. This week, though, the company announced that it will start charging a $2.99/month fee. [More]
Google Blocks Burger King Whopper Ad From Triggering Google Home
By 4.13.17
Well, that was quick: Soon after Burger King launched a new ad designed to force any Google Home devices within range to wake up and spit out a list of the Whopper’s ingredients, Google has apparently disabled the functionality that triggers the devices. [More]
This Burger King Ad Forces Your Google Home Device To Tell You About Whoppers
By 4.12.17
You might think you’re the master of your own home, controlling all the internet-connected devices within it and bending them to your will with the touch of a button or an uttered command. But Burger King is trying to sneak into your home through the TV with a new ad that tries to trigger the voice-activated Google Home. [More]
Today In Badvertising: Pepsi Solves Social Strife With Soda; Nivea Says “White Is Purity”
By 4.5.17
Two major brands — Pepsi and Nivea — are under fire this week on social media for ads that some say are offensive and tone deaf. [More]
Treasury Secretary Mnuchin Pinky-Swears He Won’t Tell Anyone Else To Go See His Movies
By 3.31.17
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin raised eyebrows recently when — in the face of federal ethics rules — he suggested that parents should take their kids to see the LEGO Batman Movie, one of many films on which the former Goldman Sachs executive has a producer credit. Mnuchin has already tried to downplay the incident, but today he officially told a government ethics watchdog that he won’t do it again, for real. [More]
Verizon, AT&T Pull Ads From Google, YouTube After Ads Run Next To Offensive Videos
By 3.23.17
Days after Google began apologizing to advertisers that stopped running YouTube ads after learning their brands were being featured alongside offensive and hateful videos, Verizon and AT&T say they are also pulling the plug on ads with the tech giant. [More]
Google Apologizes To McDonald’s, BBC, For Running Their Ads Alongside Offensive YouTube Clips
By 3.20.17
Google is apologizing to some very big companies that stopped running YouTube ads after learning that their brands were being featured alongside offensive and hateful videos. [More]
Lawsuit Claims Ford Trucks With Alleged Door Latch Defect Are Not “Ford Tough”
By 3.16.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
For the better part of three years Ford has endured federal investigations and rather large recalls related to its ongoing saga of doors that just won’t stay shut. While those issues centered on the carmaker’s smaller models, a recently filed lawsuit claims the company’s trucks also contain a door latch defect that contradicts the company’s “Ford Tough” mantra. [More]
YouTube Does Everyone A Favor, Kills Off 30-Second Unskippable Pre-Roll Ads
By 2.17.17
You know the moment: You’ve just spent the last few minutes telling your friends how great — nay! — how utterly life-changing this video you watched last night and how they just have to watch it immediately. Your audience primed, you find it on YouTube, hit “Play”… and then everyone is forced to watch a 30-second ad that cannot be skipped. Buzz. Kill. [More]
Independent Auditors Will Check Facebook Ad Displays Down To The Millisecond
By 2.10.17
You can’t blame companies that run advertisements on Facebook for being a bit suspicious after the social media platform has acknowledged problems with over-estimating how long users interact with videos and how much time users spend reading Instant Articles and interacting with brand pages. Now the company will submit to an outside audit of that advertising data. [More]
5-Hour Energy Ordered To Pay $4.3 Million For Deceptive Ads
By 2.8.17
Four months after a Washington state court ruled that the maker of the popular 5-Hour Energy drink had misled consumers into believing that its product was superior to caffeine, the judge has ordered the company to pay a total of $4.3 million. [More]
Cable & Phone Industries Tell Congress To Reverse New Internet Privacy Rule
By 1.27.17
Last fall, the FCC approved a new rule detailing internet service providers can and can’t gather and use your information. The affected industries cried “unfair!” and now, with a new business-friendly FCC Chairman and White House, they are calling on Congress to make this pesky privacy rule go away. [More]
Marijuana Companies Trading Stoner Slang For Mainstream Branding
By 1.26.17
Have trouble asking for an ounce of Purple Kush or Atomic Haze without feeling like the kind of stoner who would brag to his baked buddies about scoring some dank bud? Don’t worry, corporate branding is coming to save the day with acceptably bland product names. [More]
Facebook Testing Ads In ‘Messenger’ App
By 1.26.17
The ads, they’re coming for you. Or at least they are if you use Facebook’s Messenger app to communicate with your friends. [More]
