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50 Hilarious Advertising Fails You Might Find Hard To Believe Were Actually Approved (New Pics)
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.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Anti-Smoking Ad Accidentally Recommends Quitting The Wrong Thing
Andrew Irish 1 year ago
Somebody noticed when this was being applied. They either super don't care to an almost impressive degree of apathy, or it cracked them up.
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#2
Chinese Hair Salon Uses Google Translate To Create An Advertising Banner, But Seems Like Their WiFi Was Down
#3
Oh Good, Didn’t Want To Misplace It!
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
This Habitat For Humanity Van
#5
If There Is An Award For Advertising, I'm Sure This One Ain't Up For It
#6
Billboard My Wife Found In Indiana
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
Boldly Going Where No Man Has Gone Before
#8
‘Oilyfans’ Billboards Show Bp Chief Executive Topless After Earning £10 Million
#9
This Ad For Teeth Whitening
Premislaus de Colo 1 year ago
If you look at the slogan you'll see that this is intentional and eye-catching, so this doesn't really fit here
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
But... Where Did The Snowflake Come From??
#11
I See Your Car Doors And Bus Windows, And Give You This
#12
This Large Billboard Of A Random Goat
#13
Got The Copy Done For That Billboard
#14
Whoopsie, Shanghai Uses Wrong Poster (Fanmade) To Promote Thor Movie
#15
That Is Not How That Works
#16
Flew Into Dia The Other Day And Saw This Ad. They're Leaning Into It The Conspiracies And I Am *here* For It
#17
This Ad I Saw Knocking Prince Andrew
#18
That's A Lot Of Legs For Three Women
#19
Choose Asia. Choose Wrong
#20
This Ad Caught My Eyes
#21
Advertising Ethical Business
#22
Put Up The Advertisement Boss
#24
This Billboard Literally Makes No Sense
#25
Maybe Not The Best Two Billboards Right Next To Each Other... Just Sayin
#26
This Ad
#27
At A Local Library. Have No Idea What’s Going On
#28
Somebody Didn't Have His Coffee
#29
The Menopause; It's Natural, Irish And Genuinely Works
#30
People Will Never Learn To Not Put Faces In Corners
#31
Interesting Billboard On My Way To Work
#32
Put Up That Ad For You Boss
#34
I Live In Ghana. This Billboard Is On A Highway Near My House
Adrienne FWB 1 year ago
Surely this is a fake - "whiles" driving? Or someone is worse at editing than advertising.
#35
This Billboard Has A Clear Message That #sanjose Can't Ignore
#36
This Ad
#37
Bus Ad That Seems To Be Advertising Human Trafficking
#38
Another Unattainable Body Portrayed In Advertising
Steve Robert 1 year ago
Sometimes, the magician trick doesn't work. At least she found another job.
#39
Taste The Feeling Of Cr*ppy Lenticular Design
#40
Goeye Rgelash
#41
Drove Past This Malfunctioning Billboard Outside A Major Sports Stadium
#42
“I Put That Billboard Up, Boss!”
#43
I Don't Think Mirrors Work Like That
#44
As Campaign In Munich For The Euro Championship
#45
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
#46
There Wan An Attempt To Advertise
#47
This Shopped Car At The Mazda Booth At The Portland International Auto Show
#48
Cool New Ad!
#49
They Should Have Mirrored Her On The Other Side
#50
Saw This At My Local Car Dealer
#51
My Doctor Has The Oddest Old Posters In His Waiting Room
#52
Is Your Child A Cannibal?
#53
Facts Spotted In South Texas
Premislaus de Colo 1 year ago
This is not a bad ad. This in fact is a brilliant ad contrasting pride of being a Texan with sad reality of infant mortalities
#54
Unremoved Movie Poster Makes This Look Like An Animated Horror Movie
#55
Saw This At A Bus Stop. I'd Say It's AI But The Hands Are Normal
#56
Passed This Driving Through LA. I Thought It Was A Movie Poster
#57
A Catalog For A Clothing Company I Once Worked At. How Was This Cover Ever Approved?
#58
This Poster Has Wrinkled In It's Stand Rather Amusing Way
#59
Was Shopping For Shoes Then I Saw This Model In The Picture
#60
One Of The Shops Outside Local Mall. I Don't Even Know
#61
I Swear I At First Thought This Was An Ad Telling You To Go Shoot Old People
Rattical Red 1 year ago
I'm trying to understand... are they calling old rifles senior citizens? And what purpose is that, that a silenced old rifle can serve?
#62
These Spa Photos Look Like A Scary Squished Baby Face
#63
Ad For Bubble Tea In Sydney
#64
This Real Ad That Reads Like A Cards Against Humanity Entry
#65
This Ad Says That Osteoporosis Has No Symptoms, Then Lists The First Symptom
#66
This Double Sided Poster In The Sunlight
#67
This Poster At My School.... Idk, It Just Seems Weird
#68
This Billboard Was Installed Upside Down
#70
This Westfield Mall Ad Looks Like This Girl Is Taking A Dump
#71
Nobody Is Wearing A Watch In This Watch Ad
#72
This Asthma Awareness Poster
#74
I Set Up The Billboard, Boss
#77
The Model In This Advertisement For Macy's Was Wearing 2 Pairs Of Glasses
Jan Rosier 1 year ago
Well off course, she is. One to keep her hair up and a second one to protect her eyes !
#78
This Billboard I Found In NYC
#79
The Bloke In This Tesco Poster Is Terrifying. I Wonder What Is Actually Going On Here. It Looks Like Someone Is Being Threatened With A Pizza!
#80
The Review And Rating For This New Play Isn't For The Play It's Advertising
David Morgan 1 year ago
Wow, that's low. Bizarre that if they are happy to lie by implication, they still abide by the 'truth in advertising' regulations. What a bunch of cowards.
#81
An Attempt To Advertise A Special
#82
The Attention To Detail Is Unreal
#83
Saw Someone Familiar On A Billboard, But It Looks Like She Had A Stroke
#84
This Poster Placement
#86
There Was An Attempt To Hang A Poster
#87
A Local Vaccination Clinic Has The File Name Printed On Their Billboard
#88
Something Scary Happened To Their Feet
#89
Did The Billboard Boss
#90
Billboard Is Up
#92
I Put Up The Toy Story 1 Poster Boss
#93
Someone Clearly Doesn't Know How Layers Work
Add New Image
What do you think ?
nana theater 1 year ago
Obviously the editor has no idea what the difference is between very bad ads and very good ads.
nana theater 1 year ago
Obviously the editor has no idea what the difference is between very bad ads and very good ads.
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