Marketers want their products and services to be noticed and applauded, but sometimes the attempt backfires. When it does, our eagle-eyed readers let us know, submitting examples of ripoffs, poorly worded ads, half-empty packaging, outlandish claims, and goofs that have made them laugh out loud.
As we head toward the month of February, marketing message mistakes suggest that love and stupidity can hurt.
Love Hurts
Be My Valentine—Some Other Time
When it's true love, what's the rush? (Submitted by Elizabeth Sumter, Perkasie, Pa.)
Not Exactly Office Casual
A reader says, "Daywear—really!" Maybe it depends on where you work, but our office is a bit more buttoned-up. (Submitted by a reader in Cincinnati.)
Sometimes Love Does Mean Having to Say You're Sorry
Nothing says "Be mine forever" like a $99 pendant with a typo. (Submitted by Norman Marshall, Grand Rapids, Mich.)
Supersized Super Bowl
To hang a TV that big, winners might need a larger house, a reader writes. (Submitted by Richard Sun, Sacramento, Calif.)
Share the Silliness With Us
Be on the lookout for goofs and glitches like these. Share them with us via:
- Email — SellingIt@cro.consumer.org
- Mail — Selling It, Consumer Reports, 101 Truman Ave., Yonkers, NY 10703
Send us your funny ads and we might publish it here.
Editor's Note: This article also appeared in the February 2016 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.