Advertising gaffes

[bjornolf]

Is anyone else annoyed by this kind of thing? I was listening to the radio this morning, and they had a commercial on there. I think it was for McDonald's McCafe. Anyway, they go through their little spiel, and at the end, the announcer says, "It'll have you using sentence fragments like, 'That's so chill, dawg!'" Um, there's a subject, a verb, and even an adjective and an adverb. That's a complete sentence, dude, not a sentence fragment. I'm sorry, but there are kids out there who will think that's correct. Forgetting about that, though, these are supposed to be PROFESSIONAL ad people who supposedly have degrees in something like English or Journalism who came up with this. Not to mention all the editors and proofers that missed it. What is wrong with these people that they can't even make a sentence FRAGMENT properly? All they had to do was shorten it to "So chill, dawg!" or something like that. It takes an ENGINEER to figure out that these people don't know SIMPLE grammar? It's just embarrassing to me that people whose JOB it is to come up with this stuff can't even get it right. My SIX YEAR OLD said to me after hearing this the other day "What's a sentence fragment, Daddy?" I told him. He said, "But, Daddy, wasn't that a complete sentence?" HELLO, a KINDERGARTENER knows more than an ad agency full of people with college degrees. That's just sad to me.

They're not the only ones, either. I've heard or seen SEVERAL ads with stupid mistakes like this over the few years. What happened to professionalism in advertising?

[OZZIE4DUKE]

They're not the only ones, either. I've heard or seen SEVERAL ads with stupid mistakes like this over the few years. What happened to professionalism in advertising?

The ads are designed for the LOWEST common denominator, and there are a lot of stupid people out there among the masses.

[cl15876]

They're not the only ones, either. I've heard or seen SEVERAL ads with stupid mistakes like this over the few years. What happened to professionalism in advertising?

The ads are designed for the LOWEST common denominator, and there are a lot of stupid people out there among the masses.

Hey shouldn't this be in the joke thread???? Where are the mods when you need them?

[CathyCA]

Is anyone else annoyed by this kind of thing? I was listening to the radio this morning, and they had a commercial on there. I think it was for McDonald's McCafe. Anyway, they go through their little spiel, and at the end, the announcer says, "It'll have you using sentence fragments like, 'That's so chill, dawg!'" Um, there's a subject, a verb, and even an adjective and an adverb. That's a complete sentence, dude, not a sentence fragment. I'm sorry, but there are kids out there who will think that's correct. Forgetting about that, though, these are supposed to be PROFESSIONAL ad people who supposedly have degrees in something like English or Journalism who came up with this. Not to mention all the editors and proofers that missed it. What is wrong with these people that they can't even make a sentence FRAGMENT properly? All they had to do was shorten it to "So chill, dawg!" or something like that. It takes an ENGINEER to figure out that these people don't know SIMPLE grammar? It's just embarrassing to me that people whose JOB it is to come up with this stuff can't even get it right. My SIX YEAR OLD said to me after hearing this the other day "What's a sentence fragment, Daddy?" I told him. He said, "But, Daddy, wasn't that a complete sentence?" HELLO, a KINDERGARTENER knows more than an ad agency full of people with college degrees. That's just sad to me.

They're not the only ones, either. I've heard or seen SEVERAL ads with stupid mistakes like this over the few years. What happened to professionalism in advertising?

That ad drives me nucking futs for all the reasons you stated.

[bjornolf]

That ad drives me nucking futs for all the reasons you stated.

Can I use that? Nucking futs. That is HYSTERICAL!!

[TillyGalore]

That ad drives me nucking futs for all the reasons you stated.

Can I use that? Nucking futs. That is HYSTERICAL!!

I use nucking futs all the time. Even used it right in front of my mother.

[windsor]

That ad drives me nucking futs for all the reasons you stated.

Can I use that? Nucking futs. That is HYSTERICAL!!

I use nucking futs all the time. Even used it right in front of my mother.

I use it too...used it in a meeting at work the other day (hint: it was an I.T. meeting...political correctness in I.T. is always optional )

[captmojo]

I hear a radio ad, every now and then, where the announcer asks an insurance agent for an example of some rate quote savings he was able to get for a client. I guess the sound is garbled at the beginning of his response, 'cause it sounds like he says, "I got a four year old man, on blood pressure medication..."
I have mild hypertension but not since I was a four year old.

[bjornolf]

I believe he's saying "forty", but yea, annunciation is key there. My favorite is when they say "you can save 10% per gallon of gas because this car is so fuel efficient." What, are they going to give me a cash rebate of 10% for every gallon of gas you purchase?

[captmojo]

I believe he's saying "forty", but yea, annunciation is key there. My favorite is when they say "you can save 10% per gallon of gas because this car is so fuel efficient." What, are they going to give me a cash rebate of 10% for every gallon of gas you purchase?

I'm thinking forty as well but I keep hearing four.

How about the generic statement from car dealers, "We will not be undersold."

Nobody will sell less than we will.

[TNTDevil]

My favorite "gaffe" if you can call it that is in a PSA for the "dangers" of railroad right-of-ways.

It begins with a small child asking: "When is Dad gonna' be home? He promised to play catch with me!" To which the mother replies: "He just went jogging, I'll play catch with you."

Then you hear the kid exclaim: "DAD, YOU'RE BLEEDING!" To which Dad responds: "Daddy did something stupid. I was jogging on the tracks and had my headphones on... I've never seen a train there before (okay, you're on the tracks, what the #$%^ else is gonna' be there!)... I jumped out of the way just in time..."

After a bit more banter between the family. The voiceover comes on and says (paraphrasing):

"ALWAYS expect a train! Keep off railroad right-of-ways. They are private property. (Now the gaffe, IMO.) If you trespass, someone in your family will get hurt." It sounds like they are the Mafia or something.
"If we see youse on da' tracks again, you can say guh-bye to that sweet little wife of yours!"

WTF!?!

[colchar]

That ad drives me nucking futs for all the reasons you stated.

Can I use that? Nucking futs. That is HYSTERICAL!!

You'd never heard that before?!? That's an old one.