Every now and then, you need to look at some really bad marketing a) to know that you’re doing it right b) to make yourself feel better and c) to laugh at the incredible faux pas that marketers, advertisers and magazine editors make because they #fail to check their work.
So as a follow up to my last marketing fail post – 15 Legendary Marketing Fails – I’m going to expose a few more marketing blunders.
- The Thank You Captain Obvious Fail: When you sarcastically thank the marketeer for telling you something you already knew.
- The Oxymoron Marketing Fail: a self contradictory phrase that disappoints or just plain dosen’t make sense.
- The Ad Placement Fail: When combining your ad with another causes chaos or when placement within the ad causes chaos.
- The Copywriting, Punctuation or Grammar Fail: You should have gotten someone else to proof your ad.
Enjoy!
Thank You Captain Obvious
1. Pizza Hut Has Pizza Folks (just in case you didn’t know)
Pizza Hut, you have…dare I say it… pizza? No way! I would have NEVER guessed.
Oxymoron Fails
2. Always Open. PSYCHE!
They’re always open. Except when they’re closed.
3. Lemonade forever? Just kidding.
Maybe they were trying to reference the Beatles, but don’t tell us it’s forever and then take it back. That’s just mean.
Ad Placement Fails
4. The future is what?
Come on now, these babies are too young for that.
5. What do you sink about this ad placement?
Sure we all loved the movie the Titanic, not so sure if we are sold on making it a reality.
6. Free Diabetes
Free Diabetes with my soda? Of course. Why wouldn’t I?
7. This ad placement was rather unfortunate…
When it comes to this ad, we are going to go with a solid no.
8. Match.com, your message didn’t match
Just the ad you wanted to see after you watched the movie The Breakup.
9. Ad placement chaos
Dear Editor-In-Chief, this article really dosen’t go well with the ad.
10. Parents Magazine Fail
Parents magazine really should pay more attention to its sticker placement. And this is on the front page too. Talk about embarrassing.
Copywriting, punctuation & Grammar Fails
11. Writing web copy for a newspaper?
It just not the same.
12. Rachel Ray’s secret to a good meal
This is why punctuation matters.
13. Copy Fail
If that copy was a call-to-action on a landing page, then the conversion rate would be 0%.
14. Apostrophe Catastrophe
We get it, the accent in your name is your brand, but that glaring punctuation is definitely not.
15. YOU’RE doing it wrong
Cheaper than Cheaper? Cheaper than Cheap would have done just fine. And although I’ll be saving, I won’t smile until you learn how to write “you’re” properly.
Comments:
Emma Siemasko
I actually think “We have pizza” sort of works. Clear, concise, true. It’s transparent, to say the least :)
J. M. White
I think 12 and 14 are my favorite #facepalm moments.
For #15 they also opted to ignore a space between the comma and your. And what’s with the quotes around just the “Smile,your saving” part? I suppose it could have been worse. They could have stated: “Smile, your saving alot of money!”
Thanks for the laughs
eMail Tips Daily Newsletter
And #3 – most funny of all, imho…
~Steve
PPC Campaign Generator
lol, that was fun :) Those newspaper placements are hilarious. The ‘Cheaper than Cheaper’ concept is probably the worst name for a business ever thought up. The magazines, I mean come on! Those had to pass through several key decision-makers and editors. Did no one have any questions? :)
Andy Kuiper
Hilarious :-)
Jamie Anderson
Haha! The Belfast Telegraph front page wins for me hands down, absolute cracker!
Sunday
Hi Stephanie,
Quite a hilarious pack of marketing fails. I am thinking that 80% of marketing placements out there would have one form of fails or the other. Its just that these should be delivered to the right audience at the right time!
Thanks for sharing these fails.They are funny but should be reassessed by marketers! :)
The above comment was left in the IM social site – kingged.com where this post was shared and “kingged”.
Sunday – kingged.com contributor
http://www.kingged.com/15-marketing-fails-thatll-make-you-pee-your-pants/
Mark Ford
Very funny. Love No. 5 – The dream holiday above the sinking ship. Must have been deliberate surely?
Brad Edwards
Oh man, some of these are awful. I thought I’d seen some rough advertising faux pas, but these take the cake.
One of the things that drives me nuts is the spelling/grammar errors. There’s just no excuse for that kind of thing. After you spend so much time trying to build a professional image for your business, why not get someone to proofread it for you? Why spend all that money just to look like a fool?
Robert
These are all very funny, but the two related to rape and the death of a starved child are done in poor taste. I would be more cautious when selecting such stories for mere amusement.
Hannah Hamilton (@HamiltonHanah)
Haha. Really funny. Never thought that even the well known brands have bad ads. Thanks for sharing this. Had a laugh. :)
Darek
Haha those are really funny fails. The #7 really made me lough.
How can people even make such epic fails, lol.
Ritika
This is awesome, Stefanie :)
Thank you.
used autoparts online
Thanks for sharing this post. It would help business owners to grow their business with a good strategy….. :)
Jamie
Funny List and photos…, however I would say that a few of these have quite obviously been photo-shopped … .cover #12 has clearly been doctored to have the word “for” removed…
Martin Flink
That’s REALLY Good Fun Stefanie! =D
But you missed ONE!
Your own ;)
http://imm.io/1aYca
Randall Magwood
Come on Pizza Hut. We know you don’t sell hamburgers.
And I would like to know how to “Click Here” in a newspaper lol.
Satrap
I want to know Rachel Ray’s secret for cooking her family and her dog!
Robbie
Spotted this earlier… pic.twitter.com/j5yg7SKInv
porrfilm
Very funny. Love No. 5 – The dream holiday above the sinking ship. Must have been deliberate surely?
Ehsan Ali
Hi This One !
Marketing is the art of Marker person. This blog is very nice and great discus ideas about it.
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Digital Marketing Courses
This post cracked me up! One of my favorite personal marketing fails was a restaurant advertising their dessert of the day as the “Tammy Sue” instead of tiramisu. Made my day:)
Andhi Setya Hermawan
a very good idea , theory and direct practice with the steady reliable. Marketing it takes skill and patience to speak very well . Very inspiring to online marketing . Thanks knowledge
Web Design Cheshire
I love the one that says, ‘Always open… CLOSED’! Genius.