The Biggest Ad Copy Fails in History (and how to avoid them)

Have you ever seen an ad copy where you literally stopped what you are doing because it was extremely odd and cringe-worthy? You start to think if it was done on purpose or was a complete mistake. Well,  what we have here is a list of the top ten biggest ad copy fails. We hope that you will learn what NOT to do when promoting your brand, either on social media or on print. It’s not rocket science to figure out how much trouble these companies had to go through after their blunders. 

Bloomingdale’s

When Bloomingdale’s released their catalog, people were shocked. It reads, “Spike your best friend’s eggnog when they’re not looking.” The copy was offensive, most especially to victims of date rape. It was a big lesson for all marketers out there to be cautious with their words. At times, in an attempt to be funny or unique, we tend to forget how the copy could affect different people. 

Kim Kardashian 

When Kim Kardashian posted a photo holding a bottle of Diclegis, the caption would make you want to use the drugs even while you are pregnant. However, if you are in the right state of mind, you know that it’s not safe. It was a lesson for all influencers to be careful when promoting health products. This could endanger the lives of your followers. 

Dos Equis 

Dos Equis’ poster did not sit well with most women as it says, “Approach women like you do wild animals, with caution and a soothing voice.” Many see it as misogynistic and disrespectful. Plus, the fact that the product is an alcoholic beverage didn’t help too.

Tarte Cosmetics  

In one of Tarte Cosmetics’ social media posts, they captioned it with “My brain during the day: Potato, potato, ching chong tomato…”

For those who are not aware, the term ‘ching chong’ is offensive to the Asian community and was considered disrespectful. The company immediately deleted the post after realizing that it can cause further damages. 

Nivea

The German skin brand, Nivea, had a controversial advertisement with a tagline, “White is purity.” Some people were not pleased about it, saying that the ad copy was insensitive and discriminatory.    

Blue Cross Blue Shield

Blue Cross Blue Shield, a Minnesota health plan provider, created an ad copy placed on an elevator door which says ‘Today is the day we take the stairs. Let’s start making healthier decisions today’. 

Obviously, this is to promote a better lifestyle. However, they forgot people who rely on the elevators for mobility. Think about a person in a wheelchair. It was awkward seeing this ad copy.

Reebok 

“Cheat on your girlfriend, not on your workout.” With this copy, we guessed that no girlfriend would ever buy from Reebok. 

You see, humor is always an excellent tool to gain attention. But you should know your limit. If it is already offensive, then re-do the entire ad copy, or you might lose a lot of business.  

Sunny Co Clothing

Sunny Co Clothing posted on their Instagram about a promotion in which anyone who reposts and tags the company can get a free swimsuit. At first, you would think that this is harmless. However, the post went viral; they can’t accommodate all the free swimsuits. Needless to say, they had to change their rules and added a cap to the original promotion. 

When creating a copy, overpromising is a big NO. If you are not able to deliver what you have promised (or in this case, published), it will hurt your brand.  

Hyundai

It was 2013 when Hyundai released a commercial in the UK and became controversial in an instant. It says, “Our cars are so safe you can’t even commit suicide in them.” 

We understand that they just want to highlight how safe their vehicles are. But integrating your product or service to a highly sensitive issue should be done carefully. Your brand will look insensitive, and you might lose a significant portion of your loyal followers.  

LetTheLordBeWithYou

One of the worst things you can do is to not review your post or ad copy. Check out what happened with this influencer, where he literally copied the instructions from the sponsor. Without a doubt,  his credibility was put at stake. 

How to Avoid Ad Copy Mistakes 

Ensure that your ad copy is free from error. Below are some of the most practical tips that you can follow. 

Do Your Research

You can always learn from the mistakes of other people. So before you write, do quick research. What are the ad copies that didn’t sit well with the market? Why did it fail? What are the things you should not use for your advertisements?  

Check the Grammar and Spelling

Even if your company is considered fun or light, you still have to maintain that level of professionalism when you create an ad copy. This means that the grammar and spelling must be perfect. Also, don’t forget about your punctuation marks. Take a look if the commas are appropriately placed. Otherwise, you might send a different message to your audience. 

Be Sensitive 

When you write an ad copy, it’s not just about being witty, or smart, or funny. More often than not, you have to be sensitive. You have to ask yourself if you are offending a specific audience. See if your words are derogatory in nature. Will your words connote double meaning? This can take a lot of time, but at least you won’t experience embarrassment. 

Get Someone to Review Your Ad Copy 

The trick here is to get an opinion from different people. Honestly speaking, we tend to be biased with our own works. At times, we think that it is perfect. But having someone with a different background or perspective could identify if you need to revise your ad copy. Remember, this is not an individual work, most especially if you are writing for a company. Others must collaborate and give their ideas as well. 

Conclusion 

Writing an ad copy is a tedious task, and you need someone dedicated to work on it. While we are not saying that having these ad copy blunders will end your business, it will most likely harm the brand.

It’s not just about the proper punctuation or spelling that you have to watch out for. Even the subliminal meanings must be taken into consideration. And that is why we recommend hiring professional writers. 

For start-up companies, you can take a look at what the Content Fuel team does. For a fixed fee every month, you get to have unlimited content writing for your business. As they value quality, you can be sure that every word will be thoroughly checked and reviewed.