# What's The Most Evil Ad Medium Ever Devised **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 11, 2004, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-evil-ad-medium-ever-devised/233776 "2004-03-11T22:18:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2017, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-evil-ad-medium-ever-devised/233776/41 "2017-12-22T17:29:31Z")
[How about a doctor branding his initials on a patient’s liver?](http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/14/health/liver-initials-surgeon-simon-bramhall-intl-trnd/index.html) Probably not the most effective advertising medium though. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2017, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-evil-ad-medium-ever-devised/233776/42 "2017-12-22T17:45:46Z")
Hannibal Lecter is a huge fan of Dr. Bramhall’s work. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2017, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-evil-ad-medium-ever-devised/233776/43 "2017-12-22T17:48:38Z")
> [@Shade](#): > > In a Red Dwarf book, iirc, there was a ship devoted to triggering soupernovae in stars that would spell out a Coca-Cola icon. Was Earth the target for said advertisements? If so, was there any mention of how long it would take for the light from the exploding stars to reach the Earth? ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2017, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-evil-ad-medium-ever-devised/233776/44 "2017-12-22T18:13:30Z")
> [@Master\_Wang-Ka](#): > > At this point in history, my particular ire is reserved for various forms of internet advertising. > > #1: popups that immediately center themselves on the screen, blocking out whatever you actually came there to see, and forcing you to hunt around in the ad itself for the X=Close command. > > #2: Sites that give you the first page of an article… and then require you to watch a little commercial in order to access the remainder of the material. > > I make a list of things I will never, never, never buy, use, finance, or patronize, and companies that use those forms of advertising are _right at the top._ Not to mention those that detect when you are using an adblocker and pop up a message bitching at you for doing so. ETA: \ I just realized I posted in a zombie thread. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2017, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-evil-ad-medium-ever-devised/233776/45 "2017-12-22T18:18:37Z")
To stay on target, I remember a story by Asimov called, “Buy Jupiter”, where aliens from a major alien company wanted to buy the planet Jupiter for advertising (not to us humans, but to other passing aliens). The kicker to the story was that when the companies rivals’ showed up, Earth could market _ **Saturn** _ to them. Here’s a site with it; like most Asimov stories, it’s short and enjoyable. [http://fullbooks.net/buy-jupiter-and-other-stories/buy-jupiter-993135.html](http://fullbooks.net/buy-jupiter-and-other-stories/buy-jupiter-993135.html) ---
**Author:** ![buckgully](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb9ed0/32.png) [@buckgully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buckgully)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2017, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-evil-ad-medium-ever-devised/233776/46 "2017-12-22T19:32:39Z")
In keeping with the zombie theme, here’s the most evil advertising medium I can come up with: The advertiser digs up the corpses of your loved ones, reanimates them (presumably with some glowing green liquid) and replaces their rotting brains with a conversation bot that focuses solely on whatever product the advertiser wants to sell, then drops them off at your front door. A doorbell rings. Bob opens his front door. Standing there is his mother, who died 10 years ago. Bob: (shocked) “Mom! Oh my god! They told us you died in the hospital from that monkey bite!” ZomMom: “Oh, my sweet baby Bobby, why haven’t you haven’t called me on my amazing new Samsung Galaxy 17!” Bob: “There must have been some kind of mixup… wait, what?” ZomMom: “There’s never any mixup with the Samsung Galaxy 17! It has an artificially intelligent assistant that keeps track of every aspect of your life!” Bob: “I’ve missed you so much,” \ “there’s so much I want to tell you. You have a grandson, Toby, he’s three.” ZomMom: “I would love to meet \ and take many pictures of \ with my Samsung Galaxy 17’s TruLife 84 megapixel 3-D camera!” Bob: “Toby, his name is Toby. It’s short for Tobin… Oh. God. You’re one of… them.” Bob steps back and pulls a shotgun out of the hall closet. He loads a shell. Bob: “I’m sorry, mommy, I’m so, so sorry.” He levels the shotgun at her head. ZomMom: “With the new SmartSelfDefense feature of the Samsung Galaxy Seven…” She is cut off by a loud report from the muzzle of the shotgun. Bob, sagging against the wall, drops the shotgun on the floor, and reaches into his pocket and pulls out his Samsung Galaxy 16. He begins to dial 911 to turn himself in for violating the advertising destruction act of 2018. He only gets as far as 9-1 before he stops, looks at the phone and says, to nobody in particular; Bob: “I guess it _is_ time for an upgrade.” ~fin~ ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2017, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-evil-ad-medium-ever-devised/233776/47 "2017-12-22T19:45:30Z")
I was going to cite the Clarke story, as distinct from the Heinlein novella, but was beaten to it. My nominee for the most evil advertising medium is gas pump television. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2017, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-evil-ad-medium-ever-devised/233776/48 "2017-12-22T19:53:43Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > But not as much as stickers on apples. Stickers on apples And blister packed goodies, Swooshes on tennies and logos on hoodies NASCAR race drivers with ads out their yings Are just a few of my least fav’rite things ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2017, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-evil-ad-medium-ever-devised/233776/49 "2017-12-22T20:04:54Z")
Facebook. Not only for the obvious advertisements, but because it is a medium where “news” and advertisements are shared like if they were important or crucial things. And that is after those “nice” sources convinced your friends and even family that they are not ads. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2017, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-evil-ad-medium-ever-devised/233776/50 "2017-12-22T20:10:50Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I long for the day when we can say “ it’s a little known fact, but the Mariners stadium is officially named Safeco Field.” Like the Bay Bridge\* over the Chesapeake, we don’t have to use the official name. > > \*(if my memory from 8th grade is correct, the official name is The William Prescott Lane Memorial Bridge) On the upside, some Seahawks fans have taken to abbreviating the stadium’s business name so that it is now “The Clink”. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2017, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-evil-ad-medium-ever-devised/233776/51 "2017-12-22T20:45:50Z")
> [@buckgully](#): > > In keeping with the zombie theme, here’s the most evil advertising medium I can come up with: Ha! Nicely done! ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2017, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-evil-ad-medium-ever-devised/233776/52 "2017-12-22T21:06:44Z")
What’s old is what’s new. A 13 yo zombie talking about ads in space, just days after [a company plans to have a billboard on the moon by 2020](http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/japanese-company-put-billboard-moon-2020-article-1.3696566). ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2017, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-evil-ad-medium-ever-devised/233776/53 "2017-12-22T21:15:00Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Is anyone else reminded of Chairface from The Tick? Yes!!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2017, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-evil-ad-medium-ever-devised/233776/54 "2017-12-22T21:35:20Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > What’s old is what’s new. A 13 yo zombie talking about ads in space, just days after [a company plans to have a billboard on the moon by 2020](http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/japanese-company-put-billboard-moon-2020-article-1.3696566). Psh. [Chairface did it first](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOOl6xKRQ_4). ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-evil-ad-medium-ever-devised/233776/55 "2017-12-23T00:13:35Z")
I had a most detestable notion about ten or fifteen years ago: selling hold. Since then, I have heard internal promos/hype while on hold, but not out-sold ads. These days, though, hold is not as big a target as it once might have been. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-evil-ad-medium-ever-devised/233776/56 "2017-12-23T01:47:47Z")
[What about The Presidential Coin?](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/its-very-gold-the-presidential-coin-undergoes-a-trumpian-makeover/2017/12/22/23c8b11e-e5bb-11e7-ab50-621fe0588340_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_trumpcoin405pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.1e23f45de237) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-evil-ad-medium-ever-devised/233776/57 "2017-12-23T02:41:06Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > [How about a doctor branding his initials on a patient’s liver?](http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/14/health/liver-initials-surgeon-simon-bramhall-intl-trnd/index.html) Probably not the most effective advertising medium though. I dunno, [if you want to promote your alma mater](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/nine-more-women-claim-doctor-branded-them), it may be the way to go. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-evil-ad-medium-ever-devised/233776/58 "2017-12-23T05:02:49Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > My nominee for the most evil advertising medium is gas pump television. I’ll give gas pump TV points for one thing though: They periodically show local/regional weather reports. When I’m out on the road (out of my home-town area), that’s useful. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-evil-ad-medium-ever-devised/233776/59 "2017-12-23T05:30:45Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > [What about The Presidential Coin?](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/its-very-gold-the-presidential-coin-undergoes-a-trumpian-makeover/2017/12/22/23c8b11e-e5bb-11e7-ab50-621fe0588340_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_trumpcoin405pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.1e23f45de237) Technically, those are not “coins” they are “medallions” (if you hold a coin by its horizontal axis and turn it over, both sides will be in the same orientation; these objects appear to align along the vertical axis, like a medallion). ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-evil-ad-medium-ever-devised/233776/60 "2017-12-23T05:49:46Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Technically, those are not “coins” they are “medallions” (if you hold a coin by its horizontal axis and turn it over, both sides will be in the same orientation; these objects appear to align along the vertical axis, like a medallion). Is it hyphenated? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-evil-ad-medium-ever-devised/233776.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-evil-ad-medium-ever-devised/233776.md?page=4)