Below are ten wonderfully bizarre moments in marketing history. Each one is a shining example of advertisers flexing their creative chops—or just losing the plot entirely. Enjoy the ride!
1. Subliminal Advertising Craze (1950s–1960s)
What happened:
During the mid-20th century, everyone freaked out about secret “Buy This!” messages slipped into movies and print ads—stuff like “Drink Coca-Cola,” allegedly hidden in single frames.
Why it’s weird:
Imagine believing advertisers were actual puppet masters controlling our wallets. Turns out it was mostly hype, but the paranoia lives on whenever we catch an odd flicker in a commercial.
2. Doctor-Endorsed Cigarettes
What happened:
From the 1930s to the 1950s, tobacco companies ran ads where physicians in lab coats said, “I heartily recommend lighting up!” or claimed one brand was “extra soothing.”
Why it’s weird:
Yes, there was a time when an MD hawking cigarettes was totally normal. Looking back, we’re left thinking, “Hmm, guess the Hippocratic Oath had a loophole.”
3. The Rise of Shockvertising
What happened:
Brands like Benetton decided subtlety was overrated and used scandalous or graphic imagery to make you gasp. Same for PETA, which seemed to think the best way to stop animal cruelty was to shock you into vegetarianism.
Why it’s weird:
Outrage = headlines, which meant certain ads had the subtlety of a bull in a china shop. Effective? Sometimes. Ethical? Debatable. Memorable? Definitely.
4. Gendered Products (and “For Her” Marketing)
What happened:
We got razors “for men” in rugged black and neon pink pens “for women,” just in case you couldn’t handle a regular ballpoint.
Why it’s weird:
Because there is apparently nothing more terrifying than unisex writing implements. If your pen doesn’t match your gender identity, you might… write crookedly?
5. Mascots That Make No Sense
What happened:
Think the Michelin Man (a stack of tires that wants to hug you?), the Kool-Aid Man (a talking pitcher smashing through walls), and Quiznos’ Spongmonkeys (screechy potato-like creatures singing about sandwiches).
Why it’s weird:
Cartoon tigers pitching frosty corn flakes are one thing. A fuzzy gremlin serenading you about sub deals? That’s a fever dream with a marketing budget.
6. Infomercials and Late-Night Hype
What happened:
If you ever stayed up at 3 a.m. in the ‘80s or ‘90s, you witnessed glorious half-hour segments touting miracle diet pills, countertop rotisseries, or an ab machine that does the work for you—somehow.
Why it’s weird:
There’s something oddly hypnotic about a sprightly spokesperson yelling, “But wait, there’s more!” at 3 a.m. The louder they shout, the more we believe that “set it and forget it” is an actual life philosophy.
7. Candy Cigarettes for Kids
What happened:
Once upon a time, children could buy candy that looked like actual cigarette packs, puffing out imaginary smoke (a.k.a. sugar dust) to mimic grown-ups.
Why it’s weird:
Today, that would spark about 732 lawsuits before you could say “Kid Marlboro.” Back then, it was apparently no big deal to train the next generation of nicotine fans—before they hit grade school.
8. Guerrilla Marketing Stunts
What happened:
In the quest for “buzz,” brands planted suspicious packages (that turned out to be ads), staged random flash mobs, or blocked city streets with bizarre stunts. Notably, the 2007 Boston bomb scare over Cartoon Network’s LED boards was a fiasco.
Why it’s weird:
“Any publicity is good publicity” is questionable when your stunt involves police bomb squads. So yes, scaring half a city in exchange for brand mentions is a choice—just maybe not a great one.
9. Meme Marketing and Brand Feuds on Social Media
What happened:
As soon as Twitter and TikTok blew up, brands raced to be your sassy best friend or your favorite roaster, dunking on each other with memes and “witty” comebacks.
Why it’s weird:
“Irony-poisoned hamburger chain trolls competitor with spicy GIF” is a sentence that exists now. You decide if that’s brilliant or cringe—either way, it got everyone talking.
10. ASMR and “Oddly Satisfying” Ads
What happened:
Brands found out people love whispery, soothing noises, so they started filming ads of finger-licking closeups or slow crunching to give you “the tingles.”
Why it’s weird:
Because apparently a hushed voice describing the fluffiness of a pillow is an actual marketing strategy that can go viral. Still, if it sells chicken buckets or bed linens, who are we to judge?
Marketing is Weird
If history has taught us anything, it’s that when it comes to advertising, no tactic is too outlandish. Whether it’s scaring you into attention, whispering sweet nothings about your next meal, or handing out candy cigs to toddlers, someone—somewhere—once thought, “Yep, this is a winner.”
