Has anyone ever experienced advertising backfiring?

Yes, I noticed the spammer, too. It happens on all Q&A sites. However, here in Fluther you will notice that the mods are QUICK and removed each post almost as fast as the troll posted them.

I did see the spammer but the mods got to him before I could read his posts so now I’m curious. What was he peddling?

@holden watch tv online for free garbage. I dont even want to post the link cause I don’t want him to get the traffic…
unless we all visit it at the same time of course ;-)

That’s incredibly rude. I’m sure he got banned. Yay!

I worked for a CEO once who insisted (over the objections of the marketing staff, senior management and the ad agency) on doing an ad featuring phone numbers written on a bathroom wall over a urinal. The product was dialing/phone book software.

There was a huge industry backlash even in the loosey-goosey software world. People still remember the ad today—but not in a good way, more as a train wreck.

I’d say the piles of phone books just dumped throughout my village were backfires in advertising. Mine went straight into the recycle bin.

And what exactly is wrong with a perscription that grows ones eyelashes?

@Noel_S_Leitmotiv it’s excessive, stupid, unnecessary. It has a bunch of permanent side effects. It has taken self-worship to a new level.
also, the commercial is twenty decibels louder than the show, and I’ve seen it waaaay to many times.

@Noel_S_Leitmotiv—It’s vain, and can cause irreversible changes to your eyes & skin

“Inadequate eyelashes”... I’m sorry, but for some reason I find that very funny. My lashes are short, straight, & not very thick, so I’m probably in the target group. But they do the job, i. e. keeping stuff out of my eyes. Never saw the ad, FWIW.

I just sent an email to SleepTrain telling them I was buying two beds that day, and wouldn’t shop at their store because I HATE the movie reviewer they have reading the ad. Jan Wahl is one of the worlds most annoying bitches.

I recently felt this way being forced to endure the Latisse commercials on Hulu. Prescription medicine for “inadequate eyelashes”
I hate those commercials too.
I know I’m not the target demographic, but I can’t understand why anyone would want more lashes. They’re a pain in the ass, period.
And atop that, I don’t understand why they’re advertising Latisse on shows like Stargate SG-1. There can’t be that big of a female demographic period, let alone one that focuses on rubbish like eyelash length and thickness.
I’m also tired of the Target “frugalista” commercials.

In general, I really don’t come across ads that make me want to see the company fail, but I do come across ads that make me want to see the person who suggested/directed/produced/worked on those ads not be alive any more.

Plenty of ads have steered me away from purchasing their product.

@patg7590 and @SpatzieLover:

Vanity is relative. I’m sure there are people that would consider you vain relative to them.

Why shouldn’t one be able to improve one’s lashes at the risk of side effects if one wants?

Anyone who disagrees can tell us exactly where the line on vanity should be drawn. self righteous…

Once you understand the ways coercion works almost all ads or talks with sales reps do backfire. The only exception is when a sales rep enjoys true and honest communication. A while ago a friend on Fluther recommended the book Coercion : Why We Listen to What “They” Say by Douglas Rushkoff. A great read!

I would NEVER become a customer of Capital One bank because of their idiotic adverts.