Ill-conceived advertising campaigns.

[SackAttack]

So I just saw the Heineken ad where the guy is getting accosted by a bunch of superhero/mutant dudes, challenging him on what his secret power is.

So he picks up or takes off a shoe (I'm not sure which), and goes "Well, I can do this," taps it, and it turns into a Heineken.

Now, I'm sure what they were going for was that "Oh, look, this guy loves Heineken so much that when he transforms an object, that's the beer he chooses."

What I GOT from it was "What are they saying about their beer? That it tastes like an old, smelly shoe?"

[Glengoyne]

My new king of mis-guided advertising is the new Burger King Chicken Fries campaign. The concert ad is horrible. One of the others is tolerable because there is a hot chick in it, but the whole coqrock thing is as bad as it gets.

The Carl's Jr. ads with the messy burger slop falling all over the place. I've only gone there a couple of times since. Just horrible.

[ThunderingHERD]

So I just saw the Heineken ad where the guy is getting accosted by a bunch of superhero/mutant dudes, challenging him on what his secret power is.

So he picks up or takes off a shoe (I'm not sure which), and goes "Well, I can do this," taps it, and it turns into a Heineken.

Now, I'm sure what they were going for was that "Oh, look, this guy loves Heineken so much that when he transforms an object, that's the beer he chooses."

What I GOT from it was "What are they saying about their beer? That it tastes like an old, smelly shoe?"

I think the actual point was that the power to turn a shoe into a Heineken is so awesome that even superheroes with typical superhero powers are impressed/envious.

[SackAttack]

I think the actual point was that the power to turn a shoe into a Heineken is so awesome that even superheroes with typical superhero powers are impressed/envious.

Sure, but shouldn't they have chosen something more impressive than a shoe? Like, "He just zapped *super awesome cool thing here* but Heineken is such an awesome beer that I DON'T CARE. That power rules!"

Instead, the FIRST thought in my mind is "smelly shoe. Heineken. Word association is fun!"

[ThunderingHERD]

I think they were walking a tightrope of absurdity. Obviously, it would not be practical to turn shoes in to Heinekens, as a shoe in most circumstances is more valuable--this is part of the humor. Something more valuable might tip the scales of absurdity into the unhumorous. Not that I found the commercial humorous, but it was fairly well done and I'm assuming that was the logic.

[Peregrine]

The ad I don't understand is the new Jaguar ad which briefly shows the car in between flashes of GIANT TEXT that fills the screen saying things like Bluetooth. Umm, what the hell? The old Jag ads where they just showed the car were great, since most of them (not that horrible Escort/Jag combo or whatever it is the X type) are very nice looking.

[Raiders Army]

While I understand the ads for the shows on Fox, there are waaaaaaay too many of them.

And if I could turn shoes into beer, I would.

[Ksyrup]

We had one or two threads on this general subject before, so at the risk of repeating myself....I still think one of the worst ad campaigns of all-time was Hardee's introduction of the Thick Burger, with their "we sucked before - hell, even WE wouldn't have touched our burgers with a 10-foot pole, I don't know what YOU people were thinking - but things are different now. At least with our burgers" ads. I understood what they were trying to do, but they cut themselves down so badly in trying to point out how much better they are now, that the consumer (or at least I) began to question why I would give a second chance to something that was so bad in the first place.

[Critch]

My problem with the shoe to heineken advert is that it's going to cost him more to replace the shoe than it would have cost him to buy a heineken.

It's clearly not a cost-effective superpower.

[condors]

what i think when i see the commerical:

my wife has like over 400 shoes, i need this guy (course i would prefer a different beer but that is just me)

[Pumpy Tudors]

My problem with the shoe to heineken advert is that it's going to cost him more to replace the shoe than it would have cost him to buy a heineken.

It's clearly not a cost-effective superpower.
This is the correct answer.

[jeff061]

My new king of mis-guided advertising is the new Burger King Chicken Fries campaign. The concert ad is horrible. One of the others is tolerable because there is a hot chick in it, but the whole coqrock thing is as bad as it gets.

The Carl's Jr. ads with the messy burger slop falling all over the place. I've only gone there a couple of times since. Just horrible.


I just don't get the whole idea of "Chicken Fries" being marketable in any way shape and form. Who thought that one up?

[moriarty]

I just don't get the whole idea of "Chicken Fries" being marketable in any way shape and form. Who thought that one up?

Even if they're not a marketable idea, they still could have come up with something better than CoqRock. That is the worst advertising campaign in recent history ... one of the few commercials that actually forces me to change the channel.

[Raiders Army]

Even if they're not a marketable idea, they still could have come up with something better than CoqRock. That is the worst advertising campaign in recent history ... one of the few commercials that actually forces me to change the channel.
Actually I read somewhere that Slipknot was suing BK for that commercial.

[Butter]

Someone posted the ad from ESPN.com about a guy saying "I'd hit it" about a double cheeseburger from McDonald's once. Who are the ad wizards who came up with that one?

[Ksyrup]

Someone posted the ad from ESPN.com about a guy saying "I'd hit it" about a double cheeseburger from McDonald's once. Who are the ad wizards who came up with that one?
Someone who was inspired by watching American Pie?

[JonInMiddleGA]

We had one or two threads on this general subject before, so at the risk of repeating myself....I still think one of the worst ad campaigns of all-time was Hardee's introduction of the Thick Burger, with their "we sucked before - hell, even WE wouldn't have touched our burgers with a 10-foot pole, I don't know what YOU people were thinking - but things are different now. At least with our burgers" ads. I understood what they were trying to do, but they cut themselves down so badly in trying to point out how much better they are now, that the consumer (or at least I) began to question why I would give a second chance to something that was so bad in the first place.

The thinking was (and pretty justifiably so) that the reputation of Hardee's burgers was so bad that this approach was about all they could do. If they didn't acknowledge how badly things sucked, the major change would never be considered as anything other than more-of-the-same.

[Ksyrup]

I guess they were in a Catch-22, because I wouldn't want to buy a "new and improved" hamburger from the same people who did such a horrible job the first time around. Plus, if the hamburgers were that bad, then I would guess other things were equally as bad, and if the only change was to the hamburger, why would I want to go there at all?

[SackAttack]

The thinking was (and pretty justifiably so) that the reputation of Hardee's burgers was so bad that this approach was about all they could do. If they didn't acknowledge how badly things sucked, the major change would never be considered as anything other than more-of-the-same.

Yeah, that's a Hall of Shame entry if there ever was one.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Plus, if the hamburgers were that bad, then I would guess other things were equally as bad, and if the only change was to the hamburger, why would I want to go there at all?

Although it's really off the point of the thread, that was another part of the campaign (once you got inside the store anyway) -- when they rolled out the new burgers, they pretty much did away with all other menu items.

All that's left here are the various uber-burgers, the little Slammers (think pseudo-Krystals) and the Hot Ham & Cheese.

[CraigSca]

the little Slammers (think pseudo-Krystals) and the Hot Ham & Cheese.
That's either a euphemism or an easily forgotten 50's group.

[Mdog]

I think the idea of the shoe was that it was just something handy that he could whip off, turn into a beer and prove his point. I dont think he gave much thought to it and he really impressed the hot super hero chick... and that is worth more than a smelly old sneaker.

[Ksyrup]

Although it's really off the point of the thread, that was another part of the campaign (once you got inside the store anyway) -- when they rolled out the new burgers, they pretty much did away with all other menu items.

All that's left here are the various uber-burgers, the little Slammers (think pseudo-Krystals) and the Hot Ham & Cheese.
It's been so long since I ate at a Hardee's that I wouldn't know! :)

[JonInMiddleGA]

That's either a euphemism or an easily forgotten 50's group.

Neither (although it would have been a good group name at some point).

"Slammers" are what Hardee's calls these little square funky-tasting burgers that are the staple of their kid's meals & are the only small sized hamburger on the standard menu.

I love me some Krystal's (which is what these are meant to emulate, or White Castle's depending on your location) but these are kinda questionable. If Krystal's are indeed "Gut-Bombs", then Slammers are like "Thermonuclear Gut-Bombs".

[Greyroofoo]

I absolutely at Quiznos commercials. Those abominations keep me from going to Quiznos

[Mr. Sparkle]

Pretty much any McDonald's "I'm lovin' it" commercial of the past year or two make me throw things at my TV. I do know someone who has one of his commercial ideas in the running for a Super Bowl spot for them, so there's hope. Some of his concepts were pretty good.

[ice4277]

Pretty much any McDonald's "I'm lovin' it" commercial of the past year or two make me throw things at my TV. I do know someone who has one of his commercial ideas in the running for a Super Bowl spot for them, so there's hope. Some of his concepts were pretty good.
In my mind McDonald's will never be "cool". Their commercials are just like the dorky kid who showed up to school one day wearing all Abercrombie. Stop trying so hard and just be who you are.

[STK]

My new king of mis-guided advertising is the new Burger King Chicken Fries campaign. The concert ad is horrible. One of the others is tolerable because there is a hot chick in it, but the whole coqrock thing is as bad as it gets.

The Carl's Jr. ads with the messy burger slop falling all over the place. I've only gone there a couple of times since. Just horrible.

Those Carl's Jr. ads are the worst thing I've ever seen on network tv.
Worst. Fucking. Commercials. Ever.