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4 Examples of Bad Advertising: Learn What Not to Do
Most of the time, companies profit from advertising. However, creating a piece of highly visible media comes with certain risks.
In the age of social media, certain ad campaigns have become PR nightmares for brands. Mistakes happen when people who don’t know what they are doing take the reigns of mass communication.
How do you make sure your brand goes viral for the right reasons?
It starts with education.
Florida International University and Miami Ad School bring you the following examples of bad advertising to help you learn what not to do.
- A Pepsi Ad Tries to Cash in on Activism
- A Bloomingdale’s Ad Reminded People of Sexual Assault
- Bud Light Runs Afoul of the “No Means No” Movement
- LifeLock CEO Dares the Public to Steal his Identity
Pepsi tried to look tuned in to current events, but instead wound up looking out of touch with an ad featuring Kendal Jenner. In the ad, Jenner is in the middle of doing a photo-shoot when she sees a protest happening in the street. A protestor beckons for her to join, so she takes off her wig, and joins the march. Later on, she hands a Pepsi to a police officer manning the demonstration.
Activists reacted negatively. They thought the ad was exploitive, and made them look trivial.
The lesson?
Keep a healthy sense of time and place when creating advertisements. Be aware of the cultural conversations surrounding hot topics.
Bloomingdale created a combination of copy and photography for a holiday ad that many people found creepy.
When you see it, you will understand why.
The lesson?
When an ad comes across your desk, you need to ask yourself, “how could this be interpreted? What impression does the overall combination of text and images create?”
In 2015, Bud Light wrote a tagline for its “Up for Whatever” campaign. That tag was, “The perfect beer for removing ‘no’ from your vocabulary for the night.”
The writers of this tag and the higher ups who approved it must have either ignored, or been unaware of the phrase “no means no,” which is used to advocate against alcohol-fueled sexual assaults on college campuses.
The lesson?
Stay tuned in to the meaning of every buzzword and catchphrase you encounter. Consume a heavy diet of news and culture to help you keep your finger on the pulse of what is on the public’s mind.
Todd Davis, CEO of LifeLock, an identity protection theft company, dared you to steal his identity with a billboard that included his real social security number. You might be able to guess what happened after that.
His identity was stolen over a dozen times, according to some reports.
The lesson?
There are productive risks and counterproductive risks. Attention is rarely worth an actual security threat no matter how much confidence you have in your product.
Avoid Similar Advertising Pitfalls Through Education
Florida International University and Miami Ad School bring you a world-class advertising education. Delve into the history of advertising, and famous successes and failures from which you can learn while you create your own portfolio. Join a group of alumni that have impressed advertising agencies all over the world with their work. Contact Grizelle De Los Reyes, Director of the FIU-MAS Creative Track Program at gdelosre@fiu.edu or fill out the contact form for additional information.
