Why is it that McDonald’s — arguably the company whose brand is most closely identified with numerous negative stereotypes about America — simply can not get those stereotypes correct when it runs ads overseas? Earlier this year, there were the McDonald’s UK spots that reduced the U.S. to poodle-carrying socialites and no-necked weightlifters, but those are laser-point accurate compared to the “Americans” being featured in bizarre McD’s ads coming out of France. [More]
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SeaWorld Considers Legal Action Against DirectBuy Over “Free Vacation” Promotion
By 12.17.13
People have been receiving mailers advertising a free three-day vacation to San Diego, including hotel room and SeaWorld tickets. In fact, the letter included what appeared to be a check from SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. What these notices don’t mention is that you need to attend a 90-minute sales pitch, and more importantly that SeaWorld has nothing to do with the promotion. [More]
Why It May Not Be A Bad Thing That Gmail Will Automatically Display Images In Messages
By 12.12.13
If you have a Gmail account, you’re more than familiar with opening a commercial e-mail that looks like a strange wireframe with no images. Then you click “Display images below” and the blanks get filled in and (hopefully) it all makes much more sense. Google announced today that it will now automatically load these images, which is a move that has its pros and cons. [More]
How American Must A Product Be To Be Labeled “Made In The USA”?
By 12.11.13
As you finish up your holiday shopping this year, you might be feeling the desire to buy American-made products. Any number of things claim to be made in the USA, but that label itself is not an absolute guarantee that what you’re buying was indeed produced stateside. [More]
Potty With iPad Stand Takes Home Worst Toy Of The Year Award
By 12.11.13
A few weeks back we told you about the contenders — from the Monopoly game that’s one huge ad to the virtual Play-Doh — for this year’s TOADY Award for the worst toy of 2013. The people have spoken, and the runaway winner is the iPotty, which sounds like a combination potty/iPad accessory because that’s exactly what it is. [More]
This Christmas, Fend Off Bad Guys Disguised As Santa With Your New TASER
By 12.6.13
If we posted every ridiculous or terrible ad that popped up on Facebook, we’d have no pixels left to post anything else. But Patrick encountered this ad for TASER flashlights that is simultaneously strange and scaremongering, and features a balaclava-clad man in a Santa hat meant to scare Facebookers into ordering a handy stun gun flashlight. [More]
Today In How Not To Tweet: Using Mandela’s Death To Plug A Movie
By 12.5.13
South African freedom fighter and that country’s first black president Nelson Mandela passed away today at the age of 95. What better way to pay tribute to the man than by shilling for the newly released movie about his life? [More]
Court Orders For-Profit College To Pay $1,000/Day For Sidestepping Subpoena
By 12.4.13
For three years, the Kentucky Attorney General’s office has been trying to enforce a subpoena related to its investigation into the operators of the for-profit National College schools in the state. Today, a court ordered a $1,000/day civil penalty against the school, retroactive to July 31. [More]
Sara Lee Cherry Pie Delivers Disappointing Amount Of Actual Cherries
By 12.2.13
When you buy a frozen, pre-made pie, are you expecting it to be exactly like one you’d whip up from scratch using fresh ingredients? No, probably not. But if it’s advertised as a cherry pie, there should be some actual cherries involved, right? [More]
Comcast Wants To Insert New Ads Into Old Shows
By 12.2.13
I enjoy the regular watching of many TV shows, but I tend to let episodes of these shows build up on my DVR until they reach a critical mass (or wait until the episodes are about to vanish from on-demand) and I spend an entire Saturday in the Morran Cave (patent pending) binge-watching while skipping over all those old ads for movies/sales/TV premieres that have already come and gone. But if Comcast has its way, I’ll soon be skipping over completely new, more relevant ads. [More]
This Ad For An Ad Agency Is More Honest (And Funnier) Than Most Ads For Actual Products
By 11.13.13
If you think you’re sick of seeing the same types of stunts, buzzwords, messages, and gimmicks showing up in TV ads, think of how it must be for the folks paid to come up with advertising ideas. Even when you have fresh ideas, the client might be too timid to take a chance, choosing instead to opt for whatever has been shown to work before. But one Toronto-based agency is doing its best to undercut annoying ad trends, all in the name of promoting itself. [More]
This Ad Is Really Concerned About Saving Bi Lions… Wait, What?
By 11.7.13
Consumerist reader Chris is really glad that Accenture is all about saving bi lions, snagging this photo of an ad for the company at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. But while it first it might seem like Accenture had a bit of a misspelling and is inadvertently touting its dedication to rescuing big cats who roar both ways, it could also be a brilliant advertising move. [More]
Report: Nation’s Top Hospitals Not Pushing Baby Formula On New Moms
By 10.29.13
From diapers to formula to clothing and other infant-care items, newborns are a huge source of revenue to numerous industries. That’s why some of these businesses put together new-mom goodie bags to be handed out at maternity wards, hoping to create loyal customers from the start. Some people are concerned that the practice of including free formula in these bags makes it too easy for a new mom to avoid nursing her child. And according to a new survey, many of the nation’s best hospitals are saying no to the goodie bags. [More]
Eric André Dresses Up As Drunk Ronald McDonald; Cartoon Network Ad Team Blocks It From Airing
By 10.16.13
Thinking back on all of the bizarre things that have aired on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim shows over the years, it’s hard to imagine what it would take for a segment to be so offensive or strange that it wouldn’t be allowed to air. But comedian Eric André says one rather innocuous McDonald’s prank just wouldn’t fly with the channel’s ad sales team. [More]
Google Gives Itself The Right To Make Money Off Users’ Names & Photos
By 10.11.13
If you’re a Google user, be prepared to possibly have your name, photos, and any comments you might have made using that account used in ads that Google will make money from. The company quietly announced a change to its Terms of Service this morning, giving itself the ability to exploits user profiles in “Shared Endorsements.” [More]
Your DVR Can Probably Skip Over An Ad With A Single Button Push
By 10.3.13
While many of us immediately hit the FF button on the remote control at the first indication of an ad, some folks aren’t as vigilant. But there are always those few ads that you just want to bypass when they come up (Geico camel, I’m looking at you), and your remote probably has the ability to skip that commercial with a single button push. The folks at Lifehacker have created this handy guide on setting this up for a variety of DVRs… or you could just fast-forward through the entire ad break like a sensible person. [Lifehacker] [More]
Some People Actually Believe Burger King Changed Its Name And Are Really Angry About It
By 10.3.13
We’re constantly being told that we are a jaded and cynical people who are unwilling to believe anything at face value and read signs of predatory marketing attempts in even the most innocent of gestures. But leave it to social media and one of the world’s largest fast food chains to show that some folks will be taken in by even the most blatant marketing gimmick. [More]
This Ad For McDonald’s Mighty Wings Looks Like Something You’d Scoop Out Of Kitty Litter
By 9.30.13
Even though you can get chicken wings from any family restaurant or sports bar (or buy them at the supermarket at make some yourself), McDonald’s sure has invested a lot of money into advertising and marketing its Mighty Wings. But whoever thought that this sculptural representation of the fast food product looked at all appetizing should really consider a new line of work. [More]
