BNET's 10 Worst Ads of 2010: Kindle Girl, Michael Jordan and Other Annoyers
For lousy advertising, 2010 will go down as the year of the annoyers: The common theme among BNET's 10 Worst Ads of the Year are devices that grate, infuriate and agitate those who see them. (It's a refreshing change from last year's crop, which seemed to feature a lot of off-color sex jokes.) Once you've ruined your day with these Christmas turkeys, refresh your palate with BNET's 10 Best Ads of 2010 here.
10. Quiznos - "Singimals"
The sandwich chain has a history of badvertising, which it added to this year with its singing cats. It's hard to make no sense on a number of levels -- but Quiznos succeeds!
9. The Better Marriage Blanket
There's no good way to advertise a product about farting, as this ad proves. "It makes a great anniversary gift," the ad claims. Hmm.
8. Jack in the Box - "Jack visits his parents"
Why would Jack in the Box want to associate its burgers with erectile dysfunction?
7. J.G. Wentworth - "Bus"
Personally, I think this ad is genius. If I ever win a lawsuit but need cash now, I know exactly who to call. But don't click "play" unless you're prepared to live with J.G. Wentworth's opera singers in your head for the rest of the week -- an irritation that has driven many a viewer round the bend.
6. Hanes - Michael Jordan's Hitler Mustache
There's much to dislike about this ad: Jordan's tepid performance, the fact that it doesn't showcase the product very well, and that the "hero" of the commercial is the Chatty Cathy in the airplane seat next to you. But all that is overshadowed by by Jordan's baffling facial hair choice.
5. Utah State Fair - "Uncommonly good"
It's tough to screw up a state fair, but Utah succeeded. They tried to be hip and edgy but ended up being racist and weird instead. The ad was voluntarily withdrawn by the client.
4. Staples - "Wow, that's a low price"
Annoying. Annoying. Annoying. Annoying. Annoying.
3. 10:10 - "No pressure"
It was a great idea on paper: Wastrels who refuse to cut their carbon emissions unexpectedly explode in a shower of blood and gore. But it backfired when conservatives seized on it as "evidence" that global warming is a conspiracy to enforce human population reduction. In retrospect, it's hard to figure out why this thing ever made it out of the conference room.
2. Amazon Kindle -- "Pool"
Amazon's poolside girl probably shone during the casting call but in the ad she came across as a smug device snob, sparking an online revolt against every aspect of the ad. Amazon has stuck with Poolside Girl, however, reincarnating her as an overjoyed iPhone and Android user.
1. Christine O'Donnell - "I'm not a witch"
It's still an astonishing political campaign ad: A Republican candidate for the Senate introduces herself by denying she's a witch. Oddly, the director didn't think that deploying a visual effect behind her that looked like a steaming cauldron would be a problem. Needless to say, she lost, in part because this mind-boggling ad spread news of her past flirtation with the black arts faster than the original source of that gossip -- Bill Maher.
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