Looks like everyone had a bit more time to rest, relax, scroll and send their submissions through while on holiday during the month of August because the inbox of The Spin filled up with some fun ad howlers.
A big one was on a big Noon Food billboard in the UAE, which advertised ‘Savings on Gravings’. Would it be too forward to call that a grave error? For those who say it was intentional, surely, you don’t want people thinking of limestone headstones when it’s time for lunch? Maybe, this one should be carved in stone.
Meanwhile, The Times of India, a leading national daily in the Indian sub-continent, published a Flipkart ad for an iPhone sale on the front page. The ad was found “strating” off with a typo, followed by a line that read: “Price so crazy, we bet you missed the typo in the headline.” The real faux pas: No one missed the typo. In a world where everyone seems to find something or other offensive, consumers complained that the ad viewed them as ‘dumb’, while marketers called for creatives to get more creative – with some saying, “Congrats, you’ve just paid premium for a punchline with no punch or line.”
Talking about typos, The Spin was sent a photograph of a sign posted on a bakery door that looks like autocorrect gave up halfway through. The sign had so many typos that ‘costumers’ needed a spell-checker and a prayer to figure out the Alphabet Soup.
Another unfortunate typo on a weighing scale got The Spin in stitches. Probably, not the best messaging for someone hoping to see a drop on the scales.
Continuing The Spin’s coverage of artificial intelligence (AI)-designed ads, we received one promoting Black Rock Coffee Bar that doesn’t speak too well about the quality of their cups. Easy to miss on the first take, the dribble does the ‘Rocky Road Chiller’ no favours.
Another offer on a Tostitos Dips read: “Buy 2 Get 3 Free”. Unsurprisingly, the delighted waddle with five Tostitos Dips ended at the cash counter. If you’re still doing the maths on that one, feel free to read it again.
Finally, closing off this month’s coverage of The Spin is a glaring typo in an ad campaign run by Mike Collins, who has been a US representative for Georgia’s 10th congressional district since 2023. The ad, which announced Collins’ Senate candidacy, was criticised for misspelling the name of the state he represents, reading “Georiga, let’s ride”. He got what he asked for – a wild and bumpy ride on social media.
