Truly Failed Advertising

[ThePoodonkis]

This. Just, this.

 

[Terminate421]

This is more of a win than a fail

 

[Bobic]

This. Just, this.

What are you talking about, that was amazing!

 

[Maniac536]

I read the worst was likely the earthbound "smells" campaign done by nintendo, which had ads equating the game (with a definate mid-90s look) to things that smell bad, like gym shoes and saying "this game stinks bad".

Earthbound was of course one of the best games for the SNES, and a lot of Earthbound experts (not myself included, I just watched a in depth video is all) thought the campaign for this unknown game by an unknown company to the US cost the game dearly.

 

[PureIrony]

Any internet ad involving a calming(read:irritating) women's voice talking about cleaning products.

Also, I know this is old, but John Romero couldn't make Lassie his *****.

 

[fix-the-spade]

"HI, I'M BARRY SCOTT AND THIS IS CILLIT BANG!!!"

Watch the video under this cut, it makes all those Cillit adverts worth while.
<youtube=--dmLwKs_Ww>

 

[Furioso]

The goddamn ads for WoW Cataclysm. They went on for waaay to long (A whole month if I remember correctly.) I'm not going to get into how much I don't like WoW, but even if I did, I would have still been annoyed with the fact that the campaign went on for a whole freaking month. Everybody who already played WoW I'm sure was already aware of the fact that it was coming out and may have already bought it. It just seemed like beating a dead horse to me

Definityly this, I even play the game and I was sick of the ads right after the first time I saw the add.

 

[gigastar]

Well...

Spoiler: Click here for some of the most irritating ads ive seen on TV. Note that theres a few videos.

Please, dont enjoy.

 

[Furioso]

man those old spice ones are awesome

but no... a failed ad campaign would be this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZrks-BPeLQ again a Quiznos but.. wow.. fail, how bad? they wanted to do those for a while, but quickly quit after putting this one out.

Those rats used to give me nightmares.... now I must go hide in a corner and cry...

 

[Jroo wuz heer]

[link]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oFg8LlXyp8[/link]
the horror...

 

[DaBungalow]

AHHH-OH-MY-AHHHHHHHHHH-NO-N-KILL-IT!KILL-IT!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaRF277497Y&feature=related

 

[Blind Sight]

The 'AIDS is a mass murderer' ad from Germany.

 

[AbyssalSanhedrin]

This stupid shit.


This is not the only Dettol advert that has given me huge facepalms. All of them feed on public paranoia about hygiene, and scaring people into buy their products, it's such BS.

This one makes me laugh too. Firstly, you've already had to turn on the tap with your germ-ridden hands and have to touch it again to turn it off meaning the germs are back there anyway. Secondly, if the soap really kills that percentage of germs it will kill the fresh ones you picked up touching the pump in the first place. As you say, pure fear-mongering.

Another one that used to make me laugh was the sponsor of a horrific "Cosmetic Surgery Makes You a Better Person!" makeover show called '10 Years Younger'. The product advertised at the beginning and end of each ad break was an anti-ageing cream called 10 Years Younger which claimed to make you look like said product title. If that stuff worked then why in the hell are these people undergoing painful surgery if you can slather your face in this gunk to the same effect? The mind boggles...

 

[lokun489]

fun fact: that's illegal.

I think that's against the law now.

I don't suppose there's somewhere I can report those who break that particular law, is there?
...or does it not apply to the internet? I don't actually watch TV, I only watch a few TV shows online.

unfortunatly no....

 

[Lukeman1884]

Oh god, it has to be this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbsSeVr5NSI

I especially like the "iron-clad kick butt" guarantee

 

[BanthaFodder]

tough it's not an AD so to speak... those godawful, pussy footing drug PSAs... I'm especially sick of them since they're marketed at MY age group!!! WHAT IN THE HOLY MOTHER OF FUCK DO TWO TALKING SQUIRRELS HAVE TO DO WITH DRUGS? WHAT DO TWO BLAND HIPSTERS HAVE TO DO WITH STAYING AWAY FROM POT? JUST TELL KIDS "POT WONT KILL YOU, BUT IT'LL MAKE YOU WASTE YOUR TIME WHEN YOU COULD BE DOING BETTER THINGS", THAT IS IT!!!

 

[Deathkingo]

I would give you some examples, but I don't remember any...

 

[lvl9000_woot]

The goddamn ads for WoW Cataclysm. They went on for waaay to long (A whole month if I remember correctly.) I'm not going to get into how much I don't like WoW, but even if I did, I would have still been annoyed with the fact that the campaign went on for a whole freaking month. Everybody who already played WoW I'm sure was already aware of the fact that it was coming out and may have already bought it. It just seemed like beating a dead horse to me

This (except I like/play WoW)

I got sooo sick of them. Worst part was, they were EVERYWHERE! Most people who play probably pre-ordered the game months before. Hell, I STILL see WoW ads (not just for Cata) on many gaming related sites I visit.

Annoying. As. Hell.

 

[Dfskelleton]

Yeah, I can't disagree with OP: Billy Mays was a living legend of awesomeness, Evony was worthy of 3000 facepalms.