Categories: Advertising: Egregious

Forget The Visuals Of Padma Lakshmi’s Carl’s Jr. Ad—Or Try To—And Ask Youself This Question

Posted by: Jon Fine on April 14

As you’ve probably heard, Carl’s Jr. just did another stunt ad. This one features extraordinarily attractive (and, in this case, scantily-clad) author and Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi enjoying some…

A Super Bowl Full Of Bad And Clumsy Ads

Posted by: Jon Fine on February 01

My BusinessWeek colleagues Burt Helm and David Kiley—proprietors of this fine blog—were kind enough to let me crash their annual Super Bowl party. That is, I crashed their annual Super…

Link Between Audiences Of Led Zeppelin And GOP Debate Sighted!

Posted by: Jon Fine on January 11

Time.com’s Ana Marie Cox spots some subtext; we happily point out the common denominator….

Led Zeppelin Reunites, Leading To Totemic Moment In Targeted Advertising

Posted by: Jon Fine on December 11

As you may have heard, Led Zeppelin played a one-off reunion show in London last night. And, like any good rock fan, I clicked on the video link on this…

For Some Reason, No One Has Written Marketing Books With These Cringe-Inducing Titles. Yet.

Posted by: Jon Fine on May 16

I get lots of books sent to me about marketing. This lets one survey the manifold desperate-to-cash-in-on-‘edgy’-cultural-signifiers kinda titles that are often slapped on said books in an attempt to,…

Sighted: The Limits Of The User-Generated Ad

Posted by: Jon Fine on March 06

I have very little patience for arguments that hinge on exalting “professional” content over “amateur” stuff. Much of that divide came about when there was more scarcity in distribution back…

New Cadillac Ad: Lust For … What Was That, Again?

Posted by: Jon Fine on February 27

It’s been noticed elsewhere, but it bears repeating: Those of you who caught this Cadillac commercial on the Oscars may have missed some key lyrical subtleties on its soundtrack, which…

Seattle Official Registers Calm And Deadpan Hilarity In Aftermath Of Aqua Teen Hunger Force Guerilla Marketing Kerfluffle

Posted by: Jon Fine on February 02

From an Associated Press article piece published yesterday concerning the lavishly chronicled Aqua Teen Hunger Force hubbub: “In this day and age, whenever anything remotely suspicious shows up, people get…

The Difference Between Boston and New York, I Guess.

Posted by: Jon Fine on January 31

When I saw a version of this image, in blue and green colored lights (and with a strategically placed “censored” sign—image may not be entirely safe for work), on a…

Another Terrifying Marketing Coinage

Posted by: Jon Fine on November 09

If the mere sound of the word ‘metrosexual’ made your teeth hurt … well Beliefnet.com is now touting the rise of the ‘metrospiritual:’ >>> the kinder, gentler post-Yuppies…

No Comment Necessary

Posted by: Jon Fine on October 12

“The most socially responsible industry in America.” —A novel description of marketing and advertising, courtesy of an exec making a presentation at last week’s Association of National Advertisers conference….