Girl Collects The Weirdest “Wish” Ads She Sees And Her Commentary Is Hilarious (25 Pics)
Targeted advertising is a huge part of the online experience these days – vast amounts of our personal data are sorted through by algorithms to produce ads supposedly tailor-made to best suit our behavior and preferences. It is big business and the main reason why social media and search engine giants are so keen to keep us sharing and clicking as much and as often as possible.
But they don't always get it right! Unless, of course, there are actually large amounts of people out there on the lookout for a prosthetic tongue, or hamster leash. The super cheap shopping app 'Wish' spends over $100 million on Facebook ads each year, has 170 million unique products to choose from and uploads over 9 million ads every week. That's a lot for the Facebook algorithm to handle and might explain why it often throws up some pretty crazy examples.
Imgur user BexRani has been collecting weird and wonderful Wish ads for a while now and has decided to share them for our viewing pleasure. And while the ads themselves are good for a chuckle, it is BexRani's confused and sarcastic commentary that really makes the post!
What is the strangest ad you've been 'targeted' with? Have you ever actually bought anything that was advertised to you online? Scroll down below to check out some hilariously random examples of what Facebook thinks people might 'Wish' for, and let us know what you think in the comments!
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I Thought These Were Cushioned Undergarments For Bike Riding At First. But Then I Noticed The Puff Coming Off Of One. Are These Anti Smelly Farts? Why Is There So Much Cushioning?
There are some theories about these ridiculous ads from Wish - that they are a deliberate tactic to shock and amuse people in to sharing and going 'viral,' thus generating free publicity for the company. Makes sense doesn't it?
However it seems to be simply a natural consequence of the algorithm. Naturally, people are shocked into curiosity by some of the products, and give it a click to find out more. The more clicks and ad gets, the more 'relevant' Facebook figures that it must be, and it starts popping up elsewhere too. Before you know it, that cat blindfold is one of the most popular ads on the internet, despite hardly any being sold.
A Flat Dog. Cool
Well, all dogs eaten during the Yulin Dog Meat Festival had fur ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6DKTlZkBQo
Home MRI? Mini Tanning Bed? Blinding Device?
I've noticed there is an LED technology trend in skincare recently. Could be something from these series.
Or color therapy. There's a trend of old time snake oil going around.
Load More Replies...Well it certainly destroyed the part of the towel covering her stomach.
Whatever it is they are doing, it is clearly working for Wish. They identified the cut-price, super cheap deals as their target market, adn deal directly with manufacturers in China, thus cutting out the middle man. According to Forbes it can take two to four weeks for items to ship from China, but customers clearly don't seem to mind for these prices and the company has now been valued at $8 billion.
The company is now looking to take on giants Amazon and Alibaba to become the world biggest online retailer. “We are the sixth largest eCommerce company in the world and we're shooting for #1,” the company says on its website.
Ok So... Are These Tattoo Cover Sleaves? Why Are They On A Cyborg Arm? Are These For Prosthetics? Who's Prosthetics Look Like Edward Elric's??
I think these are actually arm coolers. They are made of special synthetic material that keeps you cool and protects you from UV radiation. I saw this a lot in Korea, especially on people who spend whole days on the open, like construction workers.
Still doesn't explain the cyborg arm (but I'm guessing that's simply the marketing department's "innovative" idea)
Load More Replies...Truck drivers in my country use similar in summer, so not only one arm gets tanned while driving several hours in the sun
Nurses like these too. They cover the arms without having to wear a hot shirt under the uniform.
I saw stuff like this advertised for people who garden and want some protection from thorns, insect bites and sun.
What? No rainbow colored sleeve? And no purple one either? Or silver, gold, OR sequined sleeve?! Abhorrent!! They need to be made of those color-changing sequins. Or holographic sequins.
They arent for tattoos, a company that sells face covers also has them for being out in the sun. if you wanted to wear a long sleeve shirt in the summer than youd wear one
What On Earth Is $1 In This Picture. Is It The Strap?
it's bait. they'll have a list of things to buy, one crappy thing for a $1 and then the real item (camera in this case)
too bad the real camera won't be a real one either, just some fake counterfeit
Load More Replies...“It’s funny,” Peter Szulczewski, CEO and founder of Wish, said to the Daily Beast about the ads, “but it’s actually suboptimal for us.
“If you’re optimizing for clicks, people will click on these items, but it’s a curiosity-driven click,” he said. “People are just clicking on things because they’re crazy. No consumers are actually purchasing these products.”
He said that he personally reviews Wish’s top-selling items every day and he’s never seen any of the strange products advertised on Facebook breach that group.
“No one is going to buy a plastic tongue thing,” he explained.
“It’s a consequence of Facebook’s ad system. It’s basically rewarding high shock value items that people will click on. If we just show a garden hose or jacket, the CTR wouldn’t be as high."
Why
Teeth chokers. Wear them to establish dominance over your local murderers.
Okay, I looked it up. They are teeth color guides, $1 US each. High Quality 28pcs/set Resin Teeth Model Durable Dental Materials Dentures Colors Tooth Shade Guide Teeth Model Teach
They are not. These are plastic teeth used for making dentures. There are different sizes and colors, which you choose for the specific case.
Load More Replies...No, really, what are these ? I have 2 friends who are dental students. Always looking for gag gifts for them. No, no pun intended... haha. OPEN WIDE!
imagine you akeing prostetic for movie and you need teehts...
These are denture teeth. Prosthodontists use them to make dentures
My father used them to make dental prosthetics. They come in different shades to match the original teeth color.
No
Oh God, I don't know what to say. I actually bought these. Yes, I might have been drunk. Yes, I also actually got 3 socks, not 3 pairs, 3 socks.
This is actually useful for when you have shoes with toes. Yes, I have those shoes. It feels like walking barefoot, but still protects your feet from glass, stones, etc.
I wish someone would finally invent some kind of garment that you can wear between your feet and shoes! These blisters are killing me!
I think these are for moisturizing your feet over night. The sock holds the moistizer against your skin.
Those kind of socks were in fashion about 15 years ago. They may look odd, but are really, really comfortable. And they prevent stinky feet.
Szulczewski said Wish is in the process of creating a more restricted product list to serve specifically to Facebook, which is why you may have noticed that the weirdness of the ads has subsided in recent times. "“We’re going to start showing things people are actually buying and people will see,” he explained.
Which is all well and good, but I actually preferred seeing the weird and funny stuff, as opposed to some junk that they might think I want based on the fact that I like football, cheese and Seinfeld.
Oh well, it was fun while it lasted, and luckily someone took the time to screenshot some of the classics. Keep scrolling to check them out for yourself!
Why Are These Tiny Blue Plastic Shoes On This Person's Ear? What Does It Do? Why Do Ears Need Tiny Covers?
It's for coloring your hair. Keeps your ears from getting dye on them..
That was my guess as they don't look snug enough to keep water out.
Load More Replies...It's for swimmers. Or so I guess, as they look a bit different. Anyway you don't want all that water in your ear, as it may cause painful infections.
Anti Snoring Device? Chin Shaper? Sleep Talking Nullifier?
It's an anti snoring device. It holds your mouth shut. When you snore you keep your mouth open and your tongue falls in the back of the mouth. If you keep your mouth shut theoretically you can't snore....
I am not brave enough to think of what happens if you accidentally get your sinuses blocked during the night, as I usually get. It stops you from breathing through your nose. What happens? You die.
That would be great for my 24h shifts. In one hospital I worked at, there were cockroaches that could run over you during your rest (if you were lucky enough to have such a relieve to get to sleep a couple hours).
Wait...a hospital with cockroaches? Are you doing your residency in Hell?
Load More Replies...OMG, I actually bought one of these, but on ebay. It is an anti-snoring strap. It didn't even keep my mouth closed, and it kept slipping off because of my long straight hair. Mine had a little slitted opening where your chin bone goes. This thing did NOTHING but cost me about $1 with S&H. Absolutely useless.
No, thank you! When a person dies usually the family ties a scarf just like in this picture to keep the mouth closed until the funeral service. So this product here looks creepy
Pills? Expandable Towels? Bullet Wound Packing?
I believe they're compressed sheet face masks. To use them, you dip them in essence or some form of skin care solution, and use them as sheet masks.
My daughter loves these. She always keeps a couple in her purse and her friends always are asking for a couple when they go to clubs.
thiose are compresed towels. they serve them, pour water on it and it expand, so you can wash before eating. dont put in mouth.
Are These Hearing Aids? Why The Colored Pins? Who Wants Pins Sticking Out Their Ear?
They are actually pretty useful. My grandfather uses one. Since this aids are very small the pin is there so that you can actually pull it out.
The Pins are for placing them in and out of the ear. They'd be hard to grab without them. Especially for elderly folks.
The colours is to indicate which ear, and it's not a pin, it so you could pull it out of the ear
Make Up Caboodle? Wax Warmer? Radio? Time Machine To 1994?
You put your meal there and you can warm it even without microwave. It's mostly used to wear food for babies.
Grown a*s asians use this on daily Basis. Me too, perfect prepped lunch!
Load More Replies...This is a lunchbox, my stepmother got me one of those (in blue though) and I never use it cause it doesn't fit in my backpack... xD
Incubator For Adults?
I feel like ya grow things in there. Like plants. Plants you roll up and smoke
You put what you think was possibly exposed to bedbugs in it? And then what?
Load More Replies...Yeah that's an indoor grow tent. And yeah, often used for cannabis, but not expressly designed for it.
"High-Refective Hydroponic Indoor Garden Big Grow Tent Green Room 6 SIZE
It's for cold climate areas. you put it over your bed so you can be warm without spending too much electricity
I Know These Are Shoes. But Wow They Are Ugly
For 22$ only! Well...ok...still to much.
Load More Replies...I dressed as a tree one Halloween a few years ago. I wish I had a pair of these back then.
My fiancé is going as a wood sprite for this year's Halloween party at work, and I make her costumes every year. "Add to Cart"
The only difference, his shoes are thousands of dollars. Sad, sad world we live in.
Load More Replies...Is This A Massager? Muscle Measurement Tool? What's With The 3 Holes?
holes are for fingers, its a skin scraper, some use it after sauna or workout
Native Americans actually would sit in hot tents to bathe. When u were done, you would scrape the skin to cleanse it of toxins and dirt. Many do the same after a sauna.
Load More Replies...It's a strigil...for cleaning the skin without soap. Very popular in Roman times.
Thomas Poe, I can’t help but notice that you look very like a young Gregory Peck. 💕
Load More Replies...The Romans used to use something like this called I think a Strygil. They used to put olive oil on the body then scrape it off.
Looks like we found the magpie on this forum...
Load More Replies...For When You Need To Enter The Matrix
Not laser but pulsed light. To remove hair. It should make hair weaker.
But you need to know how to use this, to adapt the intensity to your skin type! You can damage your skin if you use it wrong. This is actually dangerous!
Load More Replies...What Is This? Why Is This? Are They Fake Teeth? Don't Those Need To Be Custom Fitted?
These are teeth used in partial or full dentures - by dental technicians!
Also frequently used by FX artists and people making creepy dolls!
Load More Replies...If you live in a rough area, you take spare teeth in case someone beats you up on the way home.
My Dad, Donald Leske, was a dental Tech at The Veterans Home in Yountville, CA. U.S.A., he retired from there. He had drawers of these samples to choose teeth to match as closely as possible to a client's remaining teeth in both size, shape, and color. Dad had a strong opinion, which I agree, that the whitest of the selections looked like Chiclets not teeth. He would occasionally comment when watching a movie "looks like Chiclets!" when an actor displayed a blindingly white smile. MISS YOU DAD!!!
Is This An Adult Toy? A Light Chain Pool? Something To Dangle From The Ceiling To Ring For The Servants?
The bottom right pic gives it away. It's for hurling potatoes over trees.
I think it might be some sort of leash attachment? That's my guess...
A Pencil Case? With A Compass? Watch?
Yeah, we Asian kids had these growing up. They'd add cool little gadgets to pencil cases to entice us to double them as toys.
In Russia, in the 90s, we went to school with the same pencil cases.
ALL OF THE ABOVE!! had one as a kid. lots of fun compartments and accessories (eraser, pencil sharpener, compass)
If I was a kid I would want this. It's a bit random but cool and also educational
These were big in the 80's when I was a kid, all kinda of little compartments that popped open, kinda useless as a pencil case because it held very little though
Is This A Water Hose Attachment?
That is an isopropane backpacking stove. Actually, the only useful thing I have ever seen on Wish.
So Obviously Is Goes In A Fish Tank... But Why?
It's to measure the concentration of CO2 in the water. Looking at the picture of the aquarium, see the green liquid in the bulb? That liquid reacts to the CO2 in the air in the glass thingy. Seems like a hell of a job to get this thing into the water without getting water in it. We used to have one that seemed much easier.
That is not green liquid.... its a reflection of the green plants.
Load More Replies...This is a live well feeder for micro and macroinvertbrates that many aquarium species require as food- think brine shrimp and daphnia.
Is This A Dumpling Press? Or A Three Tier Cake?
Why is this on wishlist? "One day I may start making my own wonton but I'm just not in the mood. Oh well, I will just put it on my wish list" ?
that´s a device to make / cook Empanadas, argentinian food. i recomend you to try em!
I Thought This Was A Sweep Bucket But There's No Flat Edge To Sweep Dirt Unto. What's With The Handle
Just an educated guess here, but I think it is to spray the reflective sand/powder on wet road marking paint. Reason: Air connection on back, activator handle for air, multiple nozzles at the bottom of the bucket (the dry kind, not wet style for paint or shaping of liquids), open ended to be able to fill easily (scoop direct from the bag/box of powder). This would help embed the material better than dumping by hand, and keep it in a more measurable and controlled distribution.
i guess it's a bucket which you connect to a water tube, so it fills ub with water every time you use the handle, so you don't have to walk around many times. still doesn't make any sense to me... i have no activity in mind for which you would use a bucket instead of a water tube directly
The hose attachment is for compressed air, not water.
Load More Replies...Is This For A Shoe? Exercise Thing? Personal Corn On The Cob Pan
Don't know what it is but looks cool. Want it. Want 2 of them
I have 2 of them on my road bike . Well similar looking ones , they're bottle cages
Load More Replies...It Reminds Of Those Plastic Rings On Braces But Wat
Skin tag removal device. The rings cut off the blood supply to the skin tag and it dies off. The gizmo is to stretch the bands so they fit over the tag.
so basically a bloodless castrator for skin tags
Load More Replies...It's a pellet band stretcher used for fishing. It opens up to easily place a band around a fish pellet then attache to a hook.
I can't find it on their site, but my husband really needs one. Anyone have a link??
Thank you to everyone who explain what each item did, because I was curious.
Okay, some of these were funny, but a lot of them were just normal items that this person hasn’t yet discovered. I will say that a lot of the pictures were taken at weird angles and more information could be provided, so I can see the confusion lol. I did laugh at the anti-fart pants/inside-out bike shorts though haha
My bff received a wish "recommendation" ad on her FB that can only be described as "strap on panties." They were advertised as used. 😐
I get these Wish ads ALL THE DARN TIME! My favorite is a T-shirt that says Nirvana but it has the Hanson brothers on it. Lol.
Look up "medical devices" sit back and be prepared to be weirded out.
I've seen some stuff on wish too XD my favourite is the weight loss bracelet.
I think a lot of these could double as weird-looking sex toys!
Load More Replies...This would have been so much better if she would have told us just what they were
Thank you to everyone who explain what each item did, because I was curious.
Okay, some of these were funny, but a lot of them were just normal items that this person hasn’t yet discovered. I will say that a lot of the pictures were taken at weird angles and more information could be provided, so I can see the confusion lol. I did laugh at the anti-fart pants/inside-out bike shorts though haha
My bff received a wish "recommendation" ad on her FB that can only be described as "strap on panties." They were advertised as used. 😐
I get these Wish ads ALL THE DARN TIME! My favorite is a T-shirt that says Nirvana but it has the Hanson brothers on it. Lol.
Look up "medical devices" sit back and be prepared to be weirded out.
I've seen some stuff on wish too XD my favourite is the weight loss bracelet.
I think a lot of these could double as weird-looking sex toys!
Load More Replies...This would have been so much better if she would have told us just what they were
