# Worst advertising campaigns ever **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** commercials-ads\ **Created:** [April 16, 2022, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932 "2022-04-16T22:12:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932/21 "2022-04-17T02:36:49Z")
[EVERY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuPTZWhz46M) [SINGLE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LQpRQh2KSQ) [QUIZNO’S](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9WT8tSjl7U) [CAMPAIGN](https://youtu.be/2aCqf_oZneM?t=42) I don’t think I’ve ever seen a single person say a single good thing about ANY major Quizno’s ad campaign. Here’s a hot tip, don’t advertise your submarine sandwich entirely through sexual innuendos or grossness. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932/22 "2022-04-17T03:58:56Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > Here’s a hot tip, don’t advertise your submarine sandwich entirely through sexual innuendos or grossness. Carl’s Jr. needed to learn that lesson, too. Between the boasting about how disgustingly messy the “food” was and Paris Hilton’s tenure as spokes-skank (honestly, who thought someone who would have audiences wondering how many STDs she currently had would be a good bet for promoting FOOD?), I’m still highly reluctant to eat there, and I know those ad campaigns are over. ---
**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:** [April 17, 2022, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932/23 "2022-04-17T05:14:59Z")
After 2001 A Space Odyssey every other commercial had something in a bright light revolving to Thus Spake. It got old pretty quick. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932/24 "2022-04-17T12:33:58Z")
I’m not clear from the OP if by “worst ad campaigns” the focus is “ad campaigns that failed to sell the product” or “ad campaigns we hate”. In the second camp I would nominate the entire series of Liberty Mutual commercials currently running. They must be performing well for Liberty Mutual since they run constantly, but I find them all, every last one, to be painfully stupid and unfunny- from “Limu Emu and Doug” to the stupid skits with the Statue of Liberty in the background. And “Liberty Liberty Liberty…Liberty” has got to be the laziest ad jingle ever created. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932/25 "2022-04-17T12:54:33Z")
> [@solost](#): > > ’m not clear from the OP if by “worst ad campaigns” the focus is “ad campaigns that failed to sell the product” or “ad campaigns we hate”. Indeed. Was thus puzzled by people (ok person) putting in the Noid & Joe Isuzu upthread, which to me at least were hilarious and memorable and not groanworthy c. f. Herb or New Coke. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932/26 "2022-04-17T12:57:48Z")
> [@solost](#): > > to be painfully stupid and unfunny- from “Limu Emu and Doug” - I would say you’re so lost but that would be redundant. But you’re so wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932/27 "2022-04-17T12:59:38Z")
I’m pretty sure that in the late 90s, there was an short-lived advert for German cigarette brand “West” with the slogan “The nearly perfect cigarette”, which in German looked like this: DIE FAST PERFEKTE ZIGARETTE ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932/28 "2022-04-17T13:11:31Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > I would say you’re so lost but that would be redundant. But you’re so wrong. We’re all entitled to our own opinion. I know from the “Again with the annoying commercials” thread that I’m far from the only one who dislikes those commercials, but if you find them amusing, more power to you. Ya gotta admit though, that is the laziest phoned-in ad jingle ever. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932/29 "2022-04-17T13:16:39Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > And it got Nissan sued by Mattel! But did it actually _cause_ sales of the 300ZX to drop, or did it simply fail to turn around already declining sales, It is notoriously difficult to measure whether and how advertising affects sales. Hence the old saying, “I know that half my advertising budget is wasted. I just don’t know what half.” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932/30 "2022-04-17T13:42:10Z")
I’ll keep this vague for privacy reasons. The ad agency where my gf works had a client who had very specific ideas about an ad they wanted produced using specific talent (a little person). Against their better judgement and with repeated warnings they produced what the client wanted. It was a huge failure and embarrassment to all involved. The ad was pulled, the client fired. ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932/31 "2022-04-17T14:15:08Z")
I give you Rax Roast Beef and Mr. Delicious: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/uEcz8I64Mz0/maxresdefault.jpg "The Commercial that Killed a Fast Food Chain") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEcz8I64Mz0) ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932/32 "2022-04-17T14:17:35Z")
Anybody remember the 1989 Infiniti teaser ads? I don’t know if they were considered successful, but they were certainly widely mocked. 30 seconds each of a fixed landscape scene with some guy pontificating. No car. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/P_a3fZVo12M/hqdefault.jpg "1989 Infiniti Teaser Commercials (x4)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_a3fZVo12M) ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932/33 "2022-04-17T15:29:34Z")
There was once an appetite-suppressant candy called [Ayds](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayds). The company eventually changed the name of the candy, but it still failed. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932/34 "2022-04-17T16:03:44Z")
Misguided national ad campaigns are legion. Let me tell you about a local ad campaign that trashed one company’s 125-year reputation in a matter of days. The company’s name was an acronym, which unfortunately rhymed with what had come to be a somewhat slang-ish term for a mental illness. I can’t be too specific about this, but let’s just call the company NUTS. They hired an ad agency to create TV and radio spots for them. The ad agency decided to base the campaign on this unfortunate association (thinking people would find it funny, I guess) and produced a series of spots that said that the reason this company could provide their services at such a low price was because they were NUTS! (This message was complete with a music bridge and announcer delivery that emphasized this.) The first time I heard one on radio I almost drove off the road. I couldn’t believe the blatant bad taste. It was like they were saying “Come take advantage of us because we’re mentally disturbed.” The shit hit the fan almost immediately. The company was pilloried by mental health organizations. At least one local TV station rejected the ads outright and never aired them, but not everyone did. It became a public relations nightmare for what had been a respected local business. They ended-up apologizing profusely and making a huge donation to aid in the treatment of mental illness. They never recovered and not long after they were acquired by another company and the name was dropped entirely. What baffles me is why nobody, anywhere along the line, didn’t see this coming. Having dealt with that particular ad agency on one occasion, I wasn’t surprised at their cluelessness, but why did the company go along with it? Why didn’t anyone speak up? I’ve thought the same thing when I’ve seen national ad campaigns go sideways. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932/35 "2022-04-17T16:29:29Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > I loved the Spongmonkeys! So did our whole family. Just a while ago, I was crossing a park with my now-grown kids, who were admiring a big, orangey moon… so of course I had to say “We like the moooon…”. They tried not to laugh, but couldn’t help themselves from remembering other lyrics from the song. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/I9MZNEXrElw/hqdefault.jpg "We Like The Moon") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9MZNEXrElw) Oh, when the kids were little I’d do dramatic readings of the lyrics to their favorite songs, as if I were an older minister: We… like the moon. It is up there very high. But… not as high as maybe dirigibles or zeppelins or maybe lightbulbs… or clouds. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932/36 "2022-04-17T16:46:37Z")
> [@solost](#): > > I’m not clear from the OP if by “worst ad campaigns” the focus is “ad campaigns that failed to sell the product” or “ad campaigns we hate”. I’d vote YES. Include them both, but let us know what your opinion is. Then again, I’m not the OP. There are tons of ads I love (like Joe Isuzu) that didn’t sell products. And vice versa (Mr. Whipple sold a ton of Charmin). But aren’t we all united on repetitive, stupid, lazy, annoying jingles like "Lib… no, I can’t even type it. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932/37 "2022-04-17T16:53:55Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > [EVERY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuPTZWhz46M) [SINGLE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LQpRQh2KSQ) [QUIZNO’S](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9WT8tSjl7U) [CAMPAIGN](https://youtu.be/2aCqf_oZneM?t=42) > > I don’t think I’ve ever seen a single person say a single good thing about ANY major Quizno’s ad campaign. Here’s a hot tip, don’t advertise your submarine sandwich entirely through sexual innuendos or grossness. As I mentioned above, I loved the Spongmonkeys campaign. However, another Quiznos campaign turned me off their sandwiches because it upset me so much. It was about this guy who worked at Quiznos and was so dedicated to his sandwich-making that he forgot everything else in his life–including his pet bird, which died because he forgot to feed it. They show him walking past the cage with the dead bird in it. Yeah, guys. I want to eat at a place I associate with killing pets by neglect. There was also one by Doritos that involved a dog that killed their missing family cat (it’s shown burying the cat’s collar and tag) and bribing a guy with Doritos to pretend he saw nothing. When his wife later asks him if he’s seen their cat, he says “Nope” as he’s eating the bribe. I don’t eat Doritos, but if I did, that commercial would have stopped me. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/SZjPPJu6PsA/hqdefault.jpg "Doritos Commerical- Dog Buries Cat (2012)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZjPPJu6PsA) ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932/38 "2022-04-17T17:07:25Z")
Pepsi’s ‘Live for Now’ advert starring Kendal Jenner [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/NApOXaynEJM/maxresdefault.jpg "Pepsi “Live For Now Moments Anthem” starring Kendall Jenner & feat “Lions” by Skip Marley") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NApOXaynEJM) ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932/39 "2022-04-17T17:10:25Z")
Just for Feet’s ad during the Super Bowl. Basically, a white hunter in a Hummer, tracking down a black guy and putting trainers on him. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/mHkxtxVpMUE/hqdefault.jpg "Just for feet - Kenyan Runner (1999)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHkxtxVpMUE) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2022, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932/40 "2022-04-17T17:56:06Z")
@bob_2, [I already mentioned that campaign](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932/16). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worst-advertising-campaigns-ever/962932.md?page=3)