badvertising

How a Foul-Mouthed American Chef Brought "Fuckin" to Japan

Adrian Chen · 01/10/12 01:51PM

After publishing this post about an Osaka department store hilariously advertising its "Fuckin sale," we got an email from Ron Silver, owner and chef of New York's Bubby's restaurant. "I feel personally responsible for this Fuckin Sale," he wrote. He attached a picture from the opening of Bubby's branch in Yokohama, Japan in 2009, where a sign advertised Bubby's Fuckin Fresh lemonade and Fuckin Fresh & Delicious food. Much to the surprise of visiting English-speaking tourists, Fuckin Fresh is the the unofficial slogan of Bubby's Japanese branch, printed on menus, signs and t-shirts.

Bloggers Were Paid To Write About Google Chrome

Ryan Tate · 01/03/12 02:45PM

Hundreds of bloggers were bribed to write posts promoting Google Chrome in recent weeks. The scandal is only worsened by Google's excuse: The whole scheme was dreamed up by the company it hired to help make things popular on the web.

Comment of the Day: It's (Sexy) Time For the Grandmas

Leah Beckmann · 12/16/11 06:00PM

Today we learned that advertising comes in all shapes, sizes, and ages. As humans, we are all one big walking, talking demographic as far as advertising goes. Mother, father, sister, uncle, grandmother, the ads target us all (this is really what the Tree of Life was about, FYI). But because today was a Golden Girls kind of day in the ad world, let's stick to that. Some commenters over at Sterling-Cooper put their noggins together and came up with some additional campaigns.

Time to Think About Sex With Grandma

Hamilton Nolan · 12/16/11 11:25AM

Next time you're in the grocery store agonizing over which brand of molasses to buy, remember: Crosby's Molasses is the molasses brand that forces you to think about fucking an elderly woman. Again, that's Crosby's Molasses, for grandmother sex.

Lowe's Is Sorry If Its Appeasement of Anti-Muslim Bigots Has Offended You

Lauri Apple · 12/12/11 08:14AM

By pulling its ads from TLC's All-American Muslim—a reality show in which Michigan-based Muslims ("terrorists") hug, roller-blade, dance in their middle-class driveways, and engage in other banal activities ("fight the holy war")—Lowe's Home Improvement pleased and appeased America's Islamophobic community. But now it's apologizing for having offended everyone else.

Lowe's Pulls Advertising from Muslim Reality Show After Bigots Complain

Max Read · 12/09/11 05:50PM

American Muslim, a TLC reality show that depicts the lives of Muslims in dangerous anti-American professions like "police officer" and "high school football coach," is obviously the most egregious example yet of creeping Sharia. So thank (the Christian) God that all-American retailer Lowe's has decided to pull advertising from the show!

Fake J-Lo Ad Gets Slightly More Objectionable

Hamilton Nolan · 11/29/11 09:16AM

One funny thing that homegrown American sweetheart Jennifer Lopez did recently was to make this Fiat commercial about her love for the Bronx without actually leaving her platinum-coated soundstage in L.A. at any moment. As if Jennifer Lopez would be caught dead in a Fiat! Right? Anyhow, they also apparently used the huge TATS Cru "I (Heart) The Bronx" mural without permission.

Vodka Billboard: 'Christmas Quality, Hanukkah Pricing'

Hamilton Nolan · 11/22/11 01:01PM

An alert reader sends us this photo of a Wodka™ brand Vodka billboard located on the West side of Manhattan, overlooking Riverside Drive. "CHRISTMAS QUALITY. HANUKKAH PRICING," it says. And there's a Santa dog, representing Christian quality, and a Jew dog, representing Hanukkah pricing, because the Jews are cheap—like Wodka™!

Trillion-Dollar Bank Uses Occupy Wall Street as Laff Line

Hamilton Nolan · 11/21/11 09:53AM

Let's all read this one together, in unison: "We don't mean to brag, but we've been Occupying Wall Street for 227 years."- BNY Mellon, in ad that a WSJ reporter photographed at last Friday's Financial Follies, the super hilarious funny night of things that people who work in and cover finance think are hilarious. "Headquartered in New York, BNY Mellon has $25.9 trillion in assets under custody or administration and $1.2 trillion under management"

Company Reconsiders 'Hells Angels Are Pussies' Ad

Hamilton Nolan · 11/09/11 09:47AM

Last month we told you about this brilliant, cutting-edge, edgy, ahead of the edge, razor's edge ad out of France for some "unbreakable" eyeglass frames. We gently noted that every last bit of information about who made the ad and where they would be during business hours every day was easily accessible online, should the Hells Angels be interested in those facts. Not that they would, what with their legendary sense of humor!

Ad: Banking Is Just Like Having an Orgasm

Lauri Apple · 10/21/11 06:26AM

The Czech bank Komerční Banka isn't just "a universal bank providing a wide range of services in retail, corporate and investment banking"—it's also a place where you can have satisfying sexual experiences, as this ad proves. The woman featured here just opened up a bank account that charges a low maintenance fee. Just imagine what taking out a loan is like.