Mediaite » Advertising Fail http://www.mediaite.com Mediaite Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:56:18 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=2012.06 Paper Runs Front Page Liquor Ad Against News Of Ft. Hood Shooting http://www.mediaite.com/print/paper-runs-front-page-liquor-ad-against-news-of-ft-hood-shooting/ http://www.mediaite.com/print/paper-runs-front-page-liquor-ad-against-news-of-ft-hood-shooting/#comments Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:48:13 +0000 Robert Quigley http://www.mediaite.com/?p=46081 As front-page newspaper advertisements have gained popularity among cash-strapped papers, they’ve brought in a lot of money, but they pose the question of whether light-hearted ads belong next to hard news. Case-in-point: one daily advertised wine and spirits with a rabbit surrounded by balloons the day after the Fort Hood shootings.The front page of the November 6, 2009 San Antonio Express-News, courtesy of the always-astute Fitz & Jen:

advertising-against-fort-hood-shootings

As a handful of commenters on the site point out, websites run ads against tragic or otherwise negative news stories all the time; should they stop? Where’s the cutoff?

Fair questions to ask, but the front page of a newspaper is still a privileged space, which is why papers took to selling front-page ads in the first place. Regardless of the broader question, it’s safe to say that balloons and rabbits will probably not sell much in the way of wine, spirits, and finer foods next to news of a national tragedy.

(via Fitz & Jen)

]]> http://www.mediaite.com/print/paper-runs-front-page-liquor-ad-against-news-of-ft-hood-shooting/feed/ 0 Today In Contextual Advertising: Atheism Article Sells “Holy Health!” http://www.mediaite.com/online/today-in-contextual-advertising-atheism-article-sells-holy-health/ http://www.mediaite.com/online/today-in-contextual-advertising-atheism-article-sells-holy-health/#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:53:44 +0000 Robert Quigley http://www.mediaite.com/?p=42743 Daily Beast article on atheist "recruitment," but we've kept it for posterity. Could "holy" and some of the religion-themed words be linked by some algorithm? It gives the odd impression that Atheism can be countered with antioxidants and a 1960s Batman-like exclamation: "Holy Health!" Screenshot after the jump:]]> The advertisement appears to have since disappeared from this Daily Beast article on more aggressive recruitment campaigns by atheists, but we have it preserved for posterity. Could “holy” and some of the religion-themed words be linked by some infernal algorithm? Either way, it weirdly gives the impression that the best way to fight the creeping menace of Atheism is with antioxidant-rich pomegranate juice and a 1960s Batman-like exclamation: “Holy Health!”

atheist.recruiting.contextual.advertising

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