In 2012, some of the worst ads aired had a theme: an overwhelming sense of self-importance. Insisting that everyone take you as seriously as you take yourself can be fatal for brands -- as this ranking shows.
Sure, there are a couple of awful local ads, as always. But you'd be surprised at the big brands who dropped stinkers this year, too. Companies that should have known better, like Harvey Nichols, Chanel and Sidney Frank all made our list.
See the best ads of 2012 here, to get an idea of how high the standard ought to be. And then see what the bottom of the barrel looks like.
10. Stanley Steemer: "Rock 'n Roll carpet," by Young & Laramore
Opening your front door to find Twisted Sister's Dee Snyder screaming at you is most consumers' worst nightmare. And Snyder looks less than enthusiastic about it in a closeup at the end of the spot, too. But Stanley Steemer believes it's a selling point. The entire thing stinks of, "who's the most famous person we can get for the least amount of money, regardless of how irrelevant they are to the carpet cleaning business?"
9. Chanel No. 5: “There you are,” by Joe Wright.
On paper, the concept is wonderful: Brad Pitt looks women in the eye and tells them exactly what they want to hear. The execution, however, was all wrong. Pitt seems distracted by the weird script he's been given. The monologue alone isn't enough to sustain the concept. (In fact the ad was later recut to add a female character). And the entire thing collapses under the weight of the conceit it is supposed to sustain. Luxury brands need to be taken seriously so that you forget that all they're doing is selling ephemera. But take yourself too seriously, and no one else will -- which is why this ad became an SNL parody days after it was aired.
8. Sydney Frank/Jagermeister – "Uncommon Men," by Mistress
Jagermeister is the rodeo clown of the drinks world. No one drinks it because they like it, but sometimes it's not really a party until someone yells "Let's all do Jager shots! Whoo!" Jager's challenge, therefore is to solidify it's place as America's premier party drink without acknowledging the fact that no one takes it seriously. Some self-effacement was in order. Instead, the brand made the disastrous decision to use an actual rodeo clown as its brand's hero, and to insist that men can only qualify to drink the stuff if they're as manly as he is. The result: a hot mess of laugh-out-loud pomposity. (And, presumably, the alienation of its female customers).
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