Truly Failed Advertising

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Chrono180

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Dec 8, 2007
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I seem to recall that back in the 80s Pepsi had the idea to make a promotion where they would put letters under the caps of their bottles and anyone who could spell out their last name would get 5$ per letter. They planned to control the number of winners by limiting how many vowels were send out, but they did not count on one guy in Chicago with the last name "Vlk". Yes, "VLK".

Richard Vlk, a diabetic who could not drink pepsi, found out about the challenge and put out ads in the paper saying he would split the prize with anyone who collected his name. By the end of the promotion, he had collected around 1393 sets of his name, worth roughly 20,000$. Pepsi, annoyed, got even by sending him checks in 15$ increments.
 

Ironic Pirate

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May 21, 2009
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The Paradigm said:
Those god-awful Slim Jim ads that used to be on the Escapist. Every time I saw one, I wanted to shove dessert forks in my eyes and ears.
I've been unable to eat Slim Jims since. I pick it, hear "WWE CHAMPIONS!!" in the most annoying voice possible, and put it back down. Ruined forever.
 

Alphavillain

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Jan 19, 2008
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Jazoni89 said:
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.
Agreed. The precipitous decline of civilisation has started, methinks. (Another indication of this is people using the word "methinks".)
 

Alphavillain

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Lukeman1884 said:
Oh god, it has to be this:

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

I especially like the "iron-clad kick butt" guarantee
There's something worryingly yet intangibly sexual about that product and the ad in general that I fear may scar me forever.
 

loc978

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Sep 18, 2010
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Lukeman1884 said:
Oh god, it has to be this:

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

I especially like the "iron-clad kick butt" guarantee
...and it inspired so many parodies...
One [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDottm2hDhI] that even resulted in the threat of legal action... they had to expect it when they made the damn commercial...
 

tigermilk

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Sep 4, 2010
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Arguably 'Strand' cigarettes had the most unsucsessful advertising campaign ever. The adverts of a man stood in shadows smoking a cigarette was mean to eoke connotations of being mysterious. Unfortunatly they became known as the cigarette of choice for stalkers and perverts. Their legacy is the song 'Do the Strand' by Roxy Music.
 

grimsprice

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Jun 28, 2009
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I cannot believe no one has mentioned the J.G. Wentworth commercials.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN9OKXtzHtE
 

Professor James

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Aug 5, 2010
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Most In-Game Advertising. All they do is break the immersion and I highly doubt they want to buy the company's product. As a matter of fact I heard that people disliked the company after seeing one.
 

Amethyst Wind

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Apr 1, 2009
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Sassafrass said:
"HI, I'M BARRY SCOTT AND THIS IS CILLIT BANG!!!
This was simply unfortunate casting in the localisation.

The US got Billy Mays, who could be entertaining to some.

The UK got Barry Scott. Nobody, not even Barry Scott, likes Barry Scott.
 

badgersprite

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Sep 22, 2009
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I think there's only one kind of failed advertising, and that brings this to mind.


Note: if the time stamp isn't working, start around 2:27.
 

Hashime

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Jan 13, 2010
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I have not seen an ad in months, plain and simple. I no longer watch TV on the TV and ctv.com does not attack you with ads. Also, there is a direct download network at my school.
 

theSovietConnection

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Jan 14, 2009
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I don't know about a fail advertising campaign, but I do know the interactive advertisements that seem to be on damn near every flash game site anymore are annoying as hell. Although there is that mildly terrifying Andkon Arcade logo...
 

mynameisphil

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I have to say, those super annoying Target Black Friday commercials with the crazy lady who epitomizes everything that is wrong with American capitalism.
 

spartan1077

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I can think of one;
1)I was on a website a couple minutes ago and saw an Ad. Normally, if it's an ad that makes noise, I just mute it and move on. But there was no way to mute this ad. So I figured I'd just wait it out. But every 30 seconds, it played a video for 45 seconds with the most annoying sounds. Heavy.com or something like that...it was some dumb dating site or something.
Lukeman1884 said:
Oh god, it has to be this:

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

I especially like the "iron-clad kick butt" guarantee
I never knew that was real. Saw it on South Park but thought...oh God...