MDG recently revealed some amusing yet awkward outdoor ad placements in an effort to alert marketers to the perils of poorly placed advertising. Apparently, not everyone heeded our words of warning because MSN.com posted even more ridiculous and regrettable ad placements. While they included plenty of outdoor oddities on billboards, buses, and store signage, they also featured some wacky Web placements and shocking newspaper spots. Check out these comical yet crass errors in ad judgment.
Image of “Walking Dead” billboard next to funeral parlor
Once again, billboard blunders made a frequent appearance. Perhaps this billboard for a gun-slinging TV show called “The Walking Dead” shouldn’t have been placed beside a funeral parlor.
Image of a candy sign near a poster for diabetes medication
Store signage can also spell trouble, like with this sign for candy placed near a poster for diabetes medication. Definitely not the sweetest idea.
Image of a newspaper article titled Mothers On The Brink.
Improperly placed newspaper ads also gained attention, only for all the wrong reasons. Too bad this sunny ad for McCain bread with its headline about feeding rumbling tummies was placed dangerously close to an article about starving families. Certainly not the most tasteful placement.
These are just a few of the examples of ads gone astray. They may be humiliating to marketers, but they’re still humorous to viewers and have captured the attention of audiences around the Web. While laughter may not have been what advertisers were after, these embarrassing ads still grabbed our attention and made everyone notice the brand behind the blunder. Here are a few more.
Avoid marketing mistakes by working with an advertising agency you can trust. Contact MDG Advertising today at 561-338-7797 or visit mdgadvertising.com.
MDG Advertising, with offices in Boca Raton and New York, NY, is a full-service advertising agency and one of Florida’s top creative ad agencies. MDG specializes in developing integrated marketing solutions, exceptional creative executions, and solid branding and media-buying strategies that give clients a competitive advantage. Our core capabilities include print advertising, branding, logo design, creative, digital marketing, creative media planning and buying, radio and TV advertising, Web design and development, infographic development, email marketing, social media marketing, and SEO. For a look at 2012’s biggest branding blunders, check out “The Biggest Branding Fails of 2012.”
Written by Michael Del Gigante
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