# Dumbest/Most Ineffective Ads **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 13, 2007, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-most-ineffective-ads/415429 "2007-08-13T14:02:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-most-ineffective-ads/415429/21 "2007-08-13T20:24:21Z")
[QUOTE=lobstermobster] The most ridiculous part of this ad is how the spokespersons name (cant remember but i think she is mostly famous for being in lifetime made for tv movies) and then her [/QUOTE] [Lindsay Wagner](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0905993/), who first came to the attention of the public-at-large as Jaime Sommers, _The Bionic Woman_ in the '70s (but then did _a lot_ of those movies you mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-most-ineffective-ads/415429/22 "2007-08-13T20:29:20Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] That ad ineffective? Doesn’t that depend on whether the goal was to make the audience remember the ad and the product, or want to buy the product? 🙂 [/QUOTE] You apparently raced past the first word in the thread title. ---
**Author:** ![lobstermobster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobstermobster/32/10033_2.png) [@lobstermobster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobstermobster)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-most-ineffective-ads/415429/23 "2007-08-13T20:30:36Z")
[QUOTE=Robot Arm] It couldn’t have been 34. Watch the ads again, everybody’s sleep number is divisible by 5. I think their market research said that labeling the knob 5, 10, 15,… 100 looked more adjustable (and more expensive) than 1-20. If anybody wants to make the _Spinal Tap_ reference, go ahead. [/QUOTE] wow i cant believe someone corrected me about sleep numbers. the point is that whatever the number was, it was NOT her actual age. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-most-ineffective-ads/415429/24 "2007-08-13T20:37:18Z")
These ads are so bad, I’m not even sure who’s doing the advertising, but I think it’s Sonic (a chain of drive-in burger shops out here). They always have a couple in the car, and the couple is always completely unattractive and argumentative. Why would i want to be like those people and eat there? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-most-ineffective-ads/415429/25 "2007-08-13T20:39:52Z")
[QUOTE=Robot Arm] If anybody wants to make the _Spinal Tap_ reference, go ahead. [/QUOTE] We’ve got armadillos in our trousers. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-most-ineffective-ads/415429/26 "2007-08-13T20:44:28Z")
The Sonic ads are really dumb around here. What makes them particularly dumb around here? There are no Sonic Drive-Ins within 100 miles of here! Yes, they keep plugging away. Only thing I can think of is that they’re hoping people will say “Hey, that looks good!” go to the website, be disappointed to find none around and possibly email them to ask when they’ll be in the area. Yeah, a bit of a long shot… Those Carl’s ads that sound like there’s a microphone in the guy’s mouth as he eats? Repulsive. Are they trying to differentiate themselves in the fast food market by making you sound like the grossest slob in town when you eat their burgers? ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-most-ineffective-ads/415429/27 "2007-08-13T20:47:37Z")
[QUOTE=Robot Arm] If anybody wants to make the _Spinal Tap_ reference, go ahead. [/QUOTE] You can’t dust for vomit? ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-most-ineffective-ads/415429/28 "2007-08-13T20:48:17Z")
Those ads that start out “When you were a kid, what did you dream about?” go along pretty good until the announcer starts saying that maybe you dreamt about magic screens. Ugh. I’m guessing that stunted imagination marketing people might have dreamt about magic screens, but for the rest of us, magic screen dreams are the epitome of stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Dunawake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dunawake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunawake)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-most-ineffective-ads/415429/29 "2007-08-13T20:52:35Z")
This was hashed out in a thread a while back, but I think the new “Little Deviants” ads for the Scion car brand are worse than ineffective, they actually make me actively dislike the product. [YouTube Link to the Ad](http://youtube.com/watch?v=Set1KKd6HKM) ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-most-ineffective-ads/415429/30 "2007-08-13T22:50:32Z")
[QUOTE=gotpasswords] The Sonic ads are really dumb around here. What makes them particularly dumb around here? There are no Sonic Drive-Ins within 100 miles of here! [/QUOTE] They are that much dumber up here. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Sophistry\_and\_Illusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sophistry_and_Illusion)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-most-ineffective-ads/415429/31 "2007-08-13T23:11:55Z")
Oh, and of course there’s Hasbro’s [bio-ooze squirting Oozinator](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdAIt4MgnHc) which looks in the ad as though it is spurting ounce after ounce of spooge onto young boys’ chests and faces. I think any parent who saw this ad would refuse to buy this product for their child. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-most-ineffective-ads/415429/32 "2007-08-13T23:31:47Z")
Well, for the longest time the Kia series of ads featuring very stupid scenarios, and customers really pissed me off. I couldn’t imagine wanting to own a car where their marketing gimmick was that they were trying to sell to the stupidest people around. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-most-ineffective-ads/415429/33 "2007-08-13T23:40:24Z")
[QUOTE=beowulff] These ads are so bad, I’m not even sure who’s doing the advertising, but I think it’s Sonic (a chain of drive-in burger shops out here). They always have a couple in the car, and the couple is always completely unattractive and argumentative. Why would i want to be like those people and eat there? [/QUOTE] Yeah, I don’t get those either. Horrible, unlikeable people. Why would I want to have anything to do with anything associated with them? I actually change the channel when a Sonic commercial comes on. Sonic, on the other had, is actually quite good for traditional fast food - they actually have tater tots. And fried japapenos. Yum. They need much better commercials. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-most-ineffective-ads/415429/34 "2007-08-14T00:36:55Z")
There’s a radio ad here for a cell phone provider (I think it’s Sprint) where the little boy wants Mom to help him with his math, because school will be starting soon. The mom says “Okay, which is greater, 6 or 9?” and the little boy answers that Dad says 6 is greater than 9 (because cell phone provider’s evening calling rates start at 6 instead of 9). First of all, no kid in the world is going to ask mom for math problems a month before school starts. Second, how the hell is that lame question gonna help the kid with math? Why would it be the first question that comes to mind when asked about math rather than something _normal_ like “What’s 2 + 2?” Third of all, I can definitely see a Calvin’s Dad scenario here, with the Dad making up silly reasons that 6 is greater than 9, but just how did that come up in conversation between them. Fourth, how old is this kid that he didn’t already know that 6 is greater than 9? Is he in Remedial Math and that’s how come his dad is able to sucker him in with that? In short: Kid: Unrealistic and stupid. Mom: Out of touch with reality, weird and stupid. Dad: No wonder he makes up stories to fool his kid. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-most-ineffective-ads/415429/35 "2007-08-14T00:42:20Z")
Anything with Gary Coleman. Or that shrieky Billy Mays. ---
**Author:** ![ladybug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/46a35a/32.png) [@ladybug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ladybug)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-most-ineffective-ads/415429/36 "2007-08-14T02:14:51Z")
[QUOTE=Dunawake] This was hashed out in a thread a while back, but I think the new “Little Deviants” ads for the Scion car brand are worse than ineffective, they actually make me actively dislike the product. [/QUOTE] Agreed. They almost made me embarrassed to be a Scion owner. ---
**Author:** ![Secret\_Volcano\_Lair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Secret\_Volcano\_Lair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Secret_Volcano_Lair)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-most-ineffective-ads/415429/37 "2007-08-14T02:44:38Z")
I hate Ovaltine commercials. “HAY GUISE MY MOM IS MAKING **RICH CHOCOLATE OVALTINE!!!** ” “I LOVE **RICH CHOCOLATE OVALTINE!!!** ” “YAAYYYYYYYYYY!!!” ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-most-ineffective-ads/415429/38 "2007-08-14T03:16:20Z")
Oh, God, yes! No one in the world is going to call it “rich chocolate Ovaltine” even once, much less every time they mention it. Just call it freaking Ovaltine, man! ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-most-ineffective-ads/415429/39 "2007-08-14T03:21:54Z")
This was unintentionally effective by way of incredulous incompetence: It was, I think, and AirWick commercial. It was CG animated. But it was so incredibly amateurish, that my wife and I had to rewind the tivo 3 times to watch it with our mouths wide open in shock. I’ve seen bad CG. And I’ve seen dumb-ass commercials. But the level of quality was so poor, for such a national brand, I couldn’t even hear a word it said out of sheer disbelief that this somehow made it past anyone with an IQ higher than 14. In looking for it on YouTube, there are some quite well done CG animation for thier commercials like [This One](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSMOtMkLLms), that all I can imagine is that later on, at some point, the CEO’s 8 year old son made some piss poor animation using a SIMs engine, and being blinded for the love of his son, he/she couldn’t see that it was utter horse piss. Either that, or he/she was trying to save a TREMENDOUS buck. ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-most-ineffective-ads/415429/40 "2007-08-14T13:23:56Z")
[QUOTE=Kat] \ Fourth, how old is this kid that he didn’t already know that 6 is greater than 9? \ [/QUOTE] Well, at that age, I thought 9 was greater than six, because Nine is to right of six on the number line. I guess they have Mobius teaching math, now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-most-ineffective-ads/415429.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumbest-most-ineffective-ads/415429.md?page=3)