Posts Tagged ‘outdoor advertising’

We’re not absolutely sure if this photo is genuine.

It might be a clever photoshopped viral meme designed to make a point ahead of the Scottish independence poll. Or it might just be the perfect example of Rule #1 of outdoor advertising – see your medium before you stick the ad to the train, and don’t put any of it over (a) doors that move (b) big sticky-outey things that make it impossible to read your ad.

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Either way, very funny.

For more glorious F*** Ups in advertising, packaging, social media et al just put “F*** Up” in the search box top left of this page and hit enter …

flagsMeanwhile, based on the polls, if you are remotely interested in the politics of the thing, it is still looking likely that Scotland won’t vote to become an independent country, with the “yes” side of the poll declining recently, although fervent yes campaigners point to the still large number of undecideds and the fact that a larger percentage of women seem undecided in particular.

Our guess – and we’re usually right – is that the referendum will fail, but more narrowly than the current polls indicate. Still, with a month to go, there is still time for momentum to build either way as people focus more and more on the actual event.

A wrap of the movements of the polls can be found here. In reading polls, psephologists agree that what really matters is the overall look of the trends, and the averaging of them. On that basis, it should be noted that since this poll tracker began, the “yes” side of the argument has only been in the majority, very temporarily, twice.

(With thanks to Dickie Ember for forwarding us the Alex Salmond train photo.)

 

OK, impossible to believe, I know, but words fail me on this one. They saw NOTHING wrong with this billboard at all – none of them – the client, the agency, the regulatory authorities – no-one.

Ye Gods. For the other Advertising F*** Ups we have recorded, plus a couple of “whoa! Well done advertising!” just put the word “advertising” in the search box top left of the page, hit enter, and enjoy …

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Hang on, what was that number again?

 

I am most grateful to Mrs Wellthisiswhatithink for spotting this one. Does anyone know where this excruciating piece of nonsense ran?

What he said.

What he said.

OK. So this always happens. The minute I post a new Advertising F*** Up, my inbox is deluged with other examples.

What does this say about the abilities of the advertising industry worldwide, or it’s quality control levels? It says they are frequently crap, and, er, frequently crap.

Anyhow, we should be grateful for small mercies, because they are very funny and/or cringe inducing. This one falls into the category of “Oh, no, surely that was done in Photoshop, no one would really do that, right?” But as it was Mrs Wellthisiswhatithink that emailed it to me, I think it deserves a run, or I won’t get my tea.

I actually think it could be real, because what I know about the outdoor advertising industry is that it is more than capable of producing “skins” in a factory somewhere and all they are interested in is the technical accuracy of the production run, and not the creative content.

Personally, I once ran a double-page full colour ad for a client that read “Oustanding Value”. It got through our agency quality control process, the client signed off, the magazine quality control process signed off, and, indeed, had been in the public arena for half a week before anyone spotted it.

So without further ado, here is today’s contender. Further comment superfluous.

Yummy

Yummy.

Sometimes one simply has to fall to one’s knees to give thanks for life’s little mercies.

Advertising f*** up of the year

You couldn't write this stuff. Well, someone did. But you know what I mean.

On the right, a billboard for a laudable new safety at work campaign, highlighting the distress when police turn up at a suburban home to tell a wife and her daughter that the husband, er, won’t be home from work. Ever.

On the left, a lap dancing club advertises its wares.

Ta-da! Oh joy, oh frabjous day.

(Thank you to Cole for the spot.)