Mad Men almost managed to convince the world that marketing was made by clever folks in swanky offices, discussing and debating the ins and outs of human wants and needs. Certainly, sometimes that is the case. But there are a lot more ads and companies out there than there are competent marketers.
We’ve gathered some of the most unhinged, cursed and hilarious advertisement fails from across the world. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below.
#1 Anti-Smoking Ad Accidentally Recommends Quitting The Wrong Thing
Image credits: MattySadowski
#2 Chinese Hair Salon Uses Google Translate To Create An Advertising Banner, But Seems Like Their WiFi Was Down
Image credits: KickedToTheTop
#3 If There Is An Award For Advertising, I'm Sure This One Ain't Up For It
Image credits: MartinCasas
There is a distinctive difference between cheap, unimaginative ads and marketing so terrible that it actively diminishes your brand’s image. Take, for example, a 2015 ad from Bloomingdales, which included the line “Spike your best friend’s eggnog when they’re not looking.”
This is the sort of thing that absolutely begs the question, how did someone think this was ok? Their PR did issue an apology and, in a show of maturity, didn’t just blame it on some rogue marketer. However, the folks calling the shots at Bloomingdales did also approve of this ad, so that raises some questions.
#4 Oh Good, Didn’t Want To Misplace It!
Image credits: OldSoulSpeaks
#5 Boldly Going Where No Man Has Gone Before
Image credits: j3nkman
#6 This Ad For Teeth Whitening
Image credits: punchy989
Some companies will “show” just how much they trust their products by putting themselves at risk. The manufacturers of bulletproof glass come to mind, standing behind their product as someone tests a gun. Very little room for fails here. In 2006, Todd Davis, CEO of LifeLock, a company that sold data protection services put out an ad with his actual social security number.
#7 This Habitat For Humanity Van
Image credits: EasterChimp
#8 I See Your Car Doors And Bus Windows, And Give You This
Image credits: SpookyItalianDish
#9 Billboard My Wife Found In Indiana
Image credits: NateCorran
The gist was simple, LifeLock’s services were, according to Todd Davis, so effective, that even with his SSN plastered across billboards, scammers and fraudsters would still not be able to do anything. It probably won’t come as a surprise that his identity was stolen over 13 times, and, to add insult to injury, he was made to pay multiple false advertising fines. If your ad is so bad the FTC has to get involved, you messed up.
#10 Whoopsie, Shanghai Uses Wrong Poster (Fanmade) To Promote Thor Movie
Image credits: mumooshka
#11 That Face
Image credits: A_gulll
#12 ‘Oilyfans’ Billboards Show Bp Chief Executive Topless After Earning £10 Million
Image credits: KirkGlobalWitness
#13 But... Where Did The Snowflake Come From??
Image credits: Lilypadwat
#14 This Large Billboard Of A Random Goat
Image credits: norwigga
#15 That Is Not How That Works
Image credits: vluv99
#16 Got The Copy Done For That Billboard
Image credits: Spicy_German_Mustard
#17 Somebody Didn't Have His Coffee
Image credits: aldileon
#18 Choose Asia. Choose Wrong
Image credits: Afroohmygod
#19 This Billboard Literally Makes No Sense
Image credits: jif1010
#20 Maybe Not The Best Two Billboards Right Next To Each Other... Just Sayin
Image credits: cool_whatsnext
#21 People Will Never Learn To Not Put Faces In Corners
Image credits: evvolin
#22 That's A Lot Of Legs For Three Women
Image credits: werschaf
#23 This Ad Caught My Eyes
Image credits: spdragon
#24 This Ad I Saw Knocking Prince Andrew
Image credits: phuckenschit
#25 Advertising Ethical Business
Image credits: karvup
#26 Drove Past This Malfunctioning Billboard Outside A Major Sports Stadium
Image credits: chickenman7
#27 Put Up That Ad For You Boss
Image credits: reddit.com
#28 This Ad
Image credits: DrLauraGrimes
#29 Flew Into Dia The Other Day And Saw This Ad. They're Leaning Into It The Conspiracies And I Am *here* For It
Image credits: DimesOHoolihan
#30 The Menopause; It's Natural, Irish And Genuinely Works
Image credits: bunnyumptious
#31 Taste The Feeling Of Cr*ppy Lenticular Design
Image credits: MosiTheLion
#32 As Campaign In Munich For The Euro Championship
Image credits: Sinnes-loeschen
#33 Goeye Rgelash
Image credits: spinfip
#34 This Billboard Has A Clear Message That #sanjose Can't Ignore
Image credits: peta
#35 I Live In Ghana. This Billboard Is On A Highway Near My House
Image credits: yanfo
#36 Interesting Billboard On My Way To Work
Image credits: herewegeaux
#37 At A Local Library. Have No Idea What’s Going On
Image credits: thenewyorkgod
#38 Another Unattainable Body Portrayed In Advertising
Image credits: dopplegango
#39 I Don't Even Have The Words
Image credits: breenrana
#40 This Ad
Image credits: almostparallel76
#41 Put Up The Advertisement Boss
Image credits: Meowch22
#42 “I Put That Billboard Up, Boss!”
Image credits: EdiblePencilLed
#43 An Ad On A Game I'm Playing. The More You Look. Not Sure What The Goal Of The Advertiser Was With The Editing Of This Photo, But This Is An Ad For Vacations
Image credits: Kwirt
#44 Bus Ad That Seems To Be Advertising Human Trafficking
Image credits: Agitated_Customer_79
#45 I Don't Think Mirrors Work Like That
Image credits: averyloonyravenclaw
#46 There Wan An Attempt To Advertise
Image credits: WholeYeetToast
#47 Cool New Ad!
Image credits: Kenwric
#48 This Shopped Car At The Mazda Booth At The Portland International Auto Show
Image credits: HarinderG
#49 They Should Have Mirrored Her On The Other Side
Image credits: Kledon69
#50 Saw This At My Local Car Dealer
Image credits: reddit.com
