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27 Idiotic Advertising Techniques That Need To Go Away

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Companies have more ways than ever to reach their customers. You'd think that would lead to a ton of innovative, impressive new advertising techniques. You'd be thinking wrong. Advertisements still trot out the same old ineffective tactics they've been using since the magazine days.

As a public service, we asked our readers to list the most annoying examples. The winner is below, but first, the runners-up:

27
Entry by Scott Laffey

ABSURD CHARACTERS CAN BE AMUSING, BUT I'LL BE DAMNED IF I CAN EVER EVEN REMEMBER WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO SELL ME. to say Hmm. I'm going detergent, sh

26
Entry by BuffaloGreg

Hefty TUMS HEETY, HEFTY, HEFTY! ANTACO Aroo eht 9TSO 4a8M m4 State Farmr TUM, TUM, TUM, TUM, TUUUUUMS LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR... Nationwide IS ON YOUR SI

25
Entry by Ashebox

USING A PERFECT YOUNG MODEL To SELL ANTI-AGING CREAM, DOES NOT CONVINCE ME YOUR PRODUGT WJORKS. THIS MODEL HAS NEVER HAD A SINGLE WRINKLE IN HER ENTIR

24
Entry by Mihailocukk

CRACKED THE NET IRON THE ONLY TITLC CHEF THAY MATTERS. PEFS -UFER food SUNDAYE 9r: Why do COOKING SHOWS keep marketing themselves with KNIVES like WOL

23
Entry by JarOCats

CRACKED.COM WHEN I GO OUT BFOR A MEAL... EMICKEN CLEGS ERISO CHOKES HOG Chicl BAR PIT D FATCDW CUCie BBO FOLLONIRO ..THE LAST THING I WANT TO SEE IS A

22
Entry by Andrea Meno

Why do brands use bland, fortune cookie-type hashtags? #DontCrackUnderPressure #FOLLOWYOURSPIRIT Why don't they use the product's name instead? Using

21
Entry by Mihailocukk

Why THE HELL do advertisers think that looking at PERFECT BODIES will make me want to buy their clothes? It just ANNOYS ME and the other 98.8% of huma

20
Entry by Dared00

Guys, you don't have to call it those days... Stafree MAXI e..we all know what a period is. CRACKED COM

19
Entry by Mihailocukk

SMELL LIKE A MAN, MAN. Old Spice Jadore Dior WHY DO ALL PERFUME ADS HAVE TO LOOK LIKE A PSYCHEDELIC TRIP??? Purr Katy perry ACQUAdiGOA Lw erpeol jon c

18
Entry by newverse

CRAGKEDCON SOME THEN PRODUCT ...For Him ...For Her NOW ASSIGNING GENDERS TO NEUTRAL PRODUCTS IS UNNECESSARY AT BEST & OFFENSIVE AT WORST.

17
Entry by djHanDon

27 Idiotic Advertising Techniques That Need To Go Away

16
Entry by PookieJones

Why are yOU 1 BANDWAGON telling me PRODUCT to be ought as the same else? everyone Others buying your product doesn't make me want it more. CRACKED.COM

15
Entry by PollyDarton

have never understood why companies hijack social movements to push their products. They seem to do it to try to appear relevant, but it actually make

14
Entry by Sonny Time

Ask your if doctor drug our is right for you. My doctor already knows about your drug and is doing what's best for me. Your commercial is a waste of t

13
Entry by Andrea Meno

CRACKED should thing anyone first this The about know it's Gluten is that food free PENNE Unless you have celiac disease, this is meaningless. Why is

12
Entry by jimclass

Unless your business is modeling, I don't understand the advertising practice of putting over-sized photos of yourself on buildings, billboards, and b

11
Entry by Instant_Ramen

ORAGKEDa CON Young rail thin women advertising shapewear I somehow think they are missing (and pissing off) their target audience here.

10
Entry by T. S. Obiech

COMPLETELY ANNOYING ME HEADON directly Apply forehead to Apply directly to forehead ADON HEADON HEADON Apply directly to directly forehead Apply foreh

9
Entry by PookieJones

CRACKEDCO I never got why companies think we don't see through their OF 10 9 OUT RECOMMEND... DENTISTS nonsensical statistics in ads.

8
Entry by ERRiley

DUDE! Why are you SCREAMING at ME? V END Anuthingy Trury .CBYCUTU GWASL2 DLE oat STAIN REMOVER FREE 38 /1 That does not make me want to buy your shit!

7
Entry by Chan Teik Onn

I started taking Pill X two months ago, and now I can deflect bullets with my arms! -Susan from Texas- Testimonials serve no purpose if there is no wa

6
Entry by BuffaloGreg

Very few people in the real world want to be part of a FOCUS GROUP. So why would anyone choose a car based on a PRETEND focus group? Plus, ads like th

5

CRACKEDOON COMMERCIALS THAT CLAIM YOU'LL GET A DISCOUNT OR BONUS BUT ONLY IF YOU CALL IN THE NEXT HOUR (EVEN THOUGH THE AD IS ON ALL THROUGHOUT THE DA

4
Entry by Chan Teik Onn

GRACKEDCOM SPYRIM MOBILE Mobile game companies that advertise their games with gameplay videos from other games are basically asking to be sued.

3
Entry by Ka-ga-mi

Targeted advertising will keep trying to sell you more... SSO0EC000Mided KOOLER NeSee AsA Tolet Bemss foenan Americarsuansand Eloroted Tolot Molsod Wo

2

YOU SHOULDN'T NEED TO SHOW PEOPLE GOING OUT OF THEIR WAY TO FAIL AT BASIC TASKS TO EFFECTIVELY SELL YOUR PRODUCT.

1
Entry by kiwijesus

I actually prefer food that DOESN'T get all over the place to be in my face.

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For more, check out 13 Irritating Advertising Techniques, Diagrammed and 26 Techniques That Prove Advertisers Think You're Dumb.

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