# Most ill-conceived ad campaigns? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 18, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ill-conceived-ad-campaigns/506872 "2009-08-18T19:02:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ill-conceived-ad-campaigns/506872/101 "2009-08-19T23:55:52Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > When I was googling for “rape” (yeah, I know, I have sick hobbies), I found this [http://www.feministing.com/archives/006645.html](http://www.feministing.com/archives/006645.html) from a while ago. A lot of people thought of it as a horrible pro gang rape ad, so I suppose it counts, though I myself didn’t really find it all that evocative of a gang rape. More like a bunch of models who carried the, “I’m really young, hot, and bored–why did I get out of bed for less than $10,000?” look a little too far. You can’t argue with statistics. Nine out of ten people enjoy gang rape. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ill-conceived-ad-campaigns/506872/102 "2009-08-20T03:19:09Z")
> [@](#): > > Quote: > Originally Posted by BrainGlutton > UPS. “What can Brown do for you?” always made me flash on the “Brown 25” skit from The Groove Tube. > > All this time I thought I was the only one who remembered it. (shudder) > > We need to form a support group. I not only remember **The Groove Tube** (Chevy Chase was in it, pre-SNL!), but I made precisely this connection. I can’t watch those ads without thinking of that scene from the movie ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ill-conceived-ad-campaigns/506872/103 "2009-08-20T18:26:32Z")
Another ill-conceived ad campaign, from Burger King nonetheless, was their infamous “Where’s Herb?” campaign. Herb was billed as the only person in America who has never eaten at Burger King.\* Part of the promotion was that Herb would walk into restaurants and the first person to see him would win oodles of boodle ($5k). So far, so good. The first big problem was that nobody knew what Herb looked like. So people started harassing other people at BK restaurants… “Are you Herb?” Tons of guys who’s name was actually Herb started being harassed at non-BK locations. Lawsuits ensued. Oops. Then they revealed what Herb looked like - a geeky 30-something in a bad suit. Not attractive, hawt, or anything any demographic would _want_ to identify with, just some balding white guy in a rumpled set of clothes. Oops. First time Herb walks into a restaurant, the first person to see him is a teenager. Teenagers were not old enough to win the prizes, so the very first Herb-spotter was denied his winnings. Lawsuits ensued. Oops. On a number of occasions, there were arguments about who saw Herb first. Lawsuits ensued, even, IICR, the town of Bessemer Alabama got into the act and filed a lawsuit. Oops. $40 million later BK pulled the plug on what Advertising Age magazine rated as the most elaborate American advertising flop of the 1980s. Finally! #1 at something! 🙂 \*Think about that one for a moment. The person whose job was to get people to eat at BK was proudly portrayed as _somebody who never eats at BK!_ ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ill-conceived-ad-campaigns/506872/104 "2009-08-20T18:52:13Z")
For the most recent ill-concieved commercial I can think of is the children’s meal Spongebob Squarepants. While Spongebob selling kid’s meals is a great idea, Spongbob hookers shaking their scantily clad square asses to Sir Mix-a-lot doesn’t seem to me to be the best way to market these meals to kids. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ill-conceived-ad-campaigns/506872/105 "2009-08-20T19:11:07Z")
I just don’t understand why people don’t just rip the googly eyes off the pile of money and stuff it in their pocket. Hey, why should I sign up with Geico when I can just grab that stack of money that’s stalking me? It’s not like it can defend itself. How does it get around anyway, it doesn’t have legs? ---
**Author:** ![filling\_pages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@filling\_pages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filling_pages)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ill-conceived-ad-campaigns/506872/106 "2009-08-20T19:22:27Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > For the most recent ill-concieved commercial I can think of is the children’s meal Spongebob Squarepants. While Spongebob selling kid’s meals is a great idea, Spongbob hookers shaking their scantily clad square asses to Sir Mix-a-lot doesn’t seem to me to be the best way to market these meals to kids. Well, in that case the ads were actually aimed at parents, trying to get them to buy kids meals for their children. The ads were played at night on channels like Adult Swim. (I thought they were funny, but I don’t have kids.) ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ill-conceived-ad-campaigns/506872/107 "2009-08-20T19:22:48Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > I can’t remember an Old Navy ad campaign that I did like. That old lady with Harry Carray’s glasses and a dog was dumb and everything beyond that up to and including the modelquins is lame. I’ll confess I think the talking mannequins are hilarious. :eek: \*NEW JEANS?!!???!! \*:eek: ---
**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ill-conceived-ad-campaigns/506872/108 "2009-08-20T19:25:17Z")
message deleted. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ill-conceived-ad-campaigns/506872/109 "2009-08-20T19:54:23Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > For the most recent ill-concieved commercial I can think of is the children’s meal Spongebob Squarepants. While Spongebob selling kid’s meals is a great idea, Spongbob hookers shaking their scantily clad square asses to Sir Mix-a-lot doesn’t seem to me to be the best way to market these meals to kids. But those commercials weren’t marketed to kids. They were marketed to their _parents_. I only ever saw those commercials in prime time or later. It was clear they were aiming for the 25-35ish group who remember “Baby Got Back” and have kids that are Kids Meal-aged. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ill-conceived-ad-campaigns/506872/110 "2009-08-20T20:15:15Z")
> [@Jettboy](#): > > Those toilet paper commercials with the cute animated bears who are constantly in need of an ass-wiping (even though they appear to not be blessed with an anus). I guess they prove once-and-for all that a bear does indeed shit in the woods. Worse are the ones with the little golden retriever-looking puppy. They’re supposed to emphasize how soft the toilet paper is, but my brain keeps making the mental leap… > [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > Those ads always bugged me as well. PC was a bit goofy, but he came off as an endearing, hard working kind of guy. Mac was nothing more than a smirking, cooler-than-you hipster. Yeah, I always end up feeling sorry for PC when I see those commercials. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@Angel\_of\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ill-conceived-ad-campaigns/506872/111 "2009-08-20T20:34:10Z")
I don’t get the hate for the Charmin Bears either. Like someone said upthread, there’s nothing in your face about them. Maybe not ill-conceived, but the current ads for (Healthy Choice?) with Julia Louis-Dreyfus baffle me. They’re funny, but she does seem to be dissing the dinners. Well, she should. Yuck. Can anyone expound on these? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ill-conceived-ad-campaigns/506872/112 "2009-08-20T20:39:38Z")
> [@Angel\_of\_Doubt](#): > > I don’t get the hate for the Charmin Bears either. Like someone said upthread, there’s nothing in your face about them. They’re kind of cute. A little annoying, but whatever. > [@](#): > > Maybe not ill-conceived, but the current ads for (Healthy Choice?) with Julia Louis-Dreyfus baffle me. They’re funny, but she does seem to be dissing the dinners. Well, she should. Yuck. Can anyone expound on these? I just saw one where she was upset about the picture they were using in stores for her, or something. I wasn’t even sure what they were advertising right after. Weird. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ill-conceived-ad-campaigns/506872/113 "2009-08-20T20:40:22Z")
**kenobi 65** said: > [@](#): > > You’re being pretty literal. I’m a literal kind of guy. I’m reporting my experience and reaction to the commercials. > [@](#): > > They’re shooting for making BK feel edgy, risky, and a little naughty, and making it feel like the anti-McDonald’s. And, from what I’ve seen in the research, among that target, they’ve succeeded, at least to an extent. Okay, so maybe they are doing something for their target demographic. I do have to remember that just because I was once a male between 18 and 29, I am not any more, and those in that demographic now _are not like me_. > [@](#): > > They’ve been willing to be “out there”, in order to be noticed, because, to be honest, for many years, they weren’t even noticed. The last thing that they’d done that really got any kind of attention was “Herb”, which (a) was a mess of _bad_ attention, and (b) was 24 years ago. You are correct that they haven’t done much to get attention in a long time. Most of the BK ads people are citing are decades old. So they needed _something_ to get attention, to get buzz. I’m just not convinced an oversized plastic-headed King showing up uninvited in my bed is the right kind of buzz. > [@](#): > > The bigger issue, as I noted upthread, is that it’s not clear that any of that actually has translated to people eating at BK more often. And could that be because, while the ads to put BK in people’s minds more often, the feeling that comes with it is “creepy” and “unpleasant”? **shy guy** said: > [@](#): > > Exactly. Obviously the King doesn’t get guys turned on or whatever, but it does appeal to a pretty common sense of humor (lots of guys dressed up as the King for Halloween when I was in college, for instance) Again, that doesn’t convey “I want to eat those burgers”, but rather “This is really bizarre and creepy, so I’ll use it as a Halloween costume.” And this is right next to the guy dressed as a giant beer can, and the guy dressed as a flasher. **Larry Mudd** , I agree, it is pretty baffling. Their ad doesn’t make much sense. I was just trying to interpret what I could. Freudian Slit > [@](#): > > I found this [http://www.feministing.com/archives/006645.html](http://www.feministing.com/archives/006645.html) from a while ago. A lot of people thought of it as a horrible pro gang rape ad, so I suppose it counts, though I myself didn’t really find it all that evocative of a gang rape. Yeah, I didn’t get a rape vibe to it at all, until I read some of the comments and then notice the guy is “holding the girl down”. Meh. **drastic\_quench** said: > [@](#): > > You can’t argue with statistics. Nine out of ten people enjoy gang rape. The tenth being the one on bottom? 😉 **JohnT** , thanks for the ad description. I swear I don’t remember that at all. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ill-conceived-ad-campaigns/506872/114 "2009-08-20T20:45:33Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Freudian Slit > Yeah, I didn’t get a rape vibe to it at all, until I read some of the comments and then notice the guy is “holding the girl down”. Meh. > > **drastic\_quench** said: > The tenth being the one on bottom? 😉 I’m embarrassed to say it took me about five minutes to get that. Also, also, those BK ads used to make ME want BK. Even the blow job one. I’m not even a young male. I just loved Burger King. I had some recently and wasn’t really all that impressed. They just don’t make whopper juniors like they used to. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ill-conceived-ad-campaigns/506872/115 "2009-08-20T20:48:22Z")
[This](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8-bOSEfFWk)ad for Gillette Fusion taught me two things: - Gillette wants me to know that they also manufacturesand market another product called Mach 3, which is shit. - Famous sportmen are wankers. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ill-conceived-ad-campaigns/506872/116 "2009-08-20T20:59:02Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > [This](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8-bOSEfFWk)ad for Gillette Fusion taught me two things: > > - Gillette wants me to know that they also manufacturesand market another product called Mach 3, which is shit. > . Yeah, that seems a little dumb, seeing as they still sell the Mach 3. I wonder why the didn’t just use the Quattro. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ill-conceived-ad-campaigns/506872/117 "2009-08-20T21:09:22Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > I just don’t understand why people don’t just rip the googly eyes off the pile of money and stuff it in their pocket. Hey, why should I sign up with Geico when I can just grab that stack of money that’s stalking me? It’s not like it can defend itself. How does it get around anyway, it doesn’t have legs? Have you seen the one where this guy sees one of them in his yard and gets a box, a stick, and a piece of string, then sets the box over the money with the stick holding up one end of the box and the string tied to the stick, like one of those “rabbit traps” with a carrot under the box? After a few seconds he pulls the string and “captures” the money, which has been sitting motionless ever since he first saw it. Stupid on so many levels it isn’t funny. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ill-conceived-ad-campaigns/506872/118 "2009-08-20T21:40:24Z")
> [@](#): > > Again, that doesn’t convey “I want to eat those burgers”, but rather “This is really bizarre and creepy, so I’ll use it as a Halloween costume.” And this is right next to the guy dressed as a giant beer can, and the guy dressed as a flasher. It doesn’t have to convey “I want to eat those burgers” to be a successful ad, though. All it has to do is convey “Burger King.” Everybody who sees the King automatically thinks “Burger King.” There isn’t anything inherent in Ronald McDonald that makes kids want to eat hamburgers, either. But Ronald does convey a message about what McDonalds is like - fun, irreverent, a place for kids - and by association makes kids thing of happy meals, etc.. Likewise, the King conveys an idea of what Burger King is like - edgy, hip, ironic - and gets people thinking about the ad. That’s what mascots _do_. ---
**Author:** ![JR\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ill-conceived-ad-campaigns/506872/119 "2009-08-20T21:44:46Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > When I was googling for “rape” (yeah, I know, I have sick hobbies), I found this [http://www.feministing.com/archives/006645.html](http://www.feministing.com/archives/006645.html) from a while ago. A lot of people thought of it as a horrible pro gang rape ad, so I suppose it counts, though I myself didn’t really find it all that evocative of a gang rape. More like a bunch of models who carried the, “I’m really young, hot, and bored–why did I get out of bed for less than $10,000?” look a little too far. > [@Irishman](#): > > Yeah, I didn’t get a rape vibe to it at all, until I read some of the comments and then notice the guy is “holding the girl down”. Meh. Maybe you have to be female. My first reaction to the ad was pretty much “squicky sexual power dynamics should make me buy your clothes because why?” ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ill-conceived-ad-campaigns/506872/120 "2009-08-20T21:54:14Z")
> [@shy\_guy](#): > > It doesn’t have to convey “I want to eat those burgers” to be a successful ad, though. All it has to do is convey “Burger King.” Everybody who sees the King automatically thinks “Burger King.” > > There isn’t anything inherent in Ronald McDonald that makes kids want to eat hamburgers, either. But Ronald does convey a message about what McDonalds is like - fun, irreverent, a place for kids - and by association makes kids thing of happy meals, etc.. > > Likewise, the King conveys an idea of what Burger King is like - edgy, hip, ironic - and gets people thinking about the ad. That’s what mascots _do_. It also pokes fun at how creepy mascots like Ronald actually are. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ill-conceived-ad-campaigns/506872.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-ill-conceived-ad-campaigns/506872.md?page=7)