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Terrible products that owe their immense popularity to highly successful ad campaigns

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M

Mineshaft_Gap

4077th
Disclaimer: Don't be a fanboy douche. "huuurr duuuur Apple huuur duuuuur Samsung" type responses are not acceptable. Let's leave such highly divisive products out of the conversation shall we?

Now that that's out of the way, I'm talking about products that could not sell on their own merits (quality/aesthetics/utility) but are still hugely popular based on one or more highly successful ad campaigns. Try to be specific about the product and the ad campaign that launched its success. For example...

The George Foreman Grill
41rP8cccmAL.jpg


This piece of shit lives in the basement, garage, or attic of almost everyone I know. It promises convenience, better health (the fat drips right off!), the power to grill indoors. It delivers an impossible to clean waffle maker/griddle hybrid. It was a pop culture staple of the 90's and it's useless and I fucking hate it.

See also: Ronco Rotisserie Oven
 
A

alfredofroylan

Member
America Online
aol-blast-from-the-past-amazing-aol-press-releases-through-the-years.jpg

Back in the 90's it was the first contact with this wonderful world of "The Internet" but being honest even with the millions of free disks and the endorsment of cerebrities like Bret "The Hitman" Hart, the service was always mediocre, today is just a mere shell of what it was. But hey, filling our AOL profile was ... cool I guess.
 
Amory

Amory

Member
Would diamond rings count here?

I know a bunch of guys that basically spent all the money they had on an engagement ring and then didn't have enough to put a down payment on a place for several years while they saved back up. Waste.
 
R

ReturnOfTheRAT

Member
Beats headphones

Cleanup is easy with the George Foreman grill. Keep the grill slightly warm and used a damn cloth or paper towel to perform the initial wipe down. Once that has been done, let it cool down and you can wash the plates in the sink.
 
L

LanceVance

Member
Wut? My George Foreman is awesome, I use it almost every day. And it's very easy to clean as long as you don't leave shit to dry on there.
 
M

Mineshaft_Gap

4077th
Elchele said:
Wii.
Click to expand...

Read the first line of the OP and get the fuck out.

teruterubozu said:
My dad used to have those. They're actually not bad, one of Bose's better products before they went super mass market.
Click to expand...

I wasn't speaking so much to that particular speaker as it looks like a fairly old ad. I'm sure BOSE might have made some good stuff back when they were a boutique mass manufacturer. That ad just exemplifies their copy writing style. The claims of cutting edge science, research, and performance haven't changed but the products have gotten worse. Certainly not worth the price.
 
G

.GqueB.

Banned
Has beats really remained popular because of ad campaigns though? Seems to survive on word of mouth and trend. I can't really recall an ad campaign for it personally.
 
M

Mr-Joker

Banned
Mineshaft_Gap said:
Disclaimer: Don't be a fanboy douche. "huuurr duuuur Apple huuur duuuuur Samsung" type responses are not acceptable. Let's leave such highly divisive products out of the conversation shall we?

Now that that's out of the way, I'm talking about products that could not sell on their own merits (quality/aesthetics/utility) but are still hugely popular based on one or more highly successful ad campaigns. Try to be specific about the product and the ad campaign that launched its success. For example...

The George Foreman Grill
41rP8cccmAL.jpg


This piece of shit lives in the basement, garage, or attic of almost everyone I know. It promises convenience, better health (the fat drips right off!), the power to grill indoors. It delivers an impossible to clean waffle maker/griddle hybrid. It was a pop culture staple of the 90's and it's useless and I fucking hate it.

See also: Ronco Rotisserie Oven
Click to expand...

"I am so proud of it, I even put my name on it"

Piece of garbage that didn't last long and was ducking hard to clean.
 
F

FStop7

Banned
Diprosalic said:
i haven't tried one yet but people make you think they're worse than the ones you get for free in the airplane.
Click to expand...

A coworker has a pair of Beats Pro. They're built like a tank. My only complaint with them is they're tuned so heavily toward favoring bass.
 
poppabk

poppabk

Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
Mineshaft_Gap said:
Disclaimer: Don't be a fanboy douche. "huuurr duuuur Apple huuur duuuuur Samsung" type responses are not acceptable. Let's leave such highly divisive products out of the conversation shall we?

Now that that's out of the way, I'm talking about products that could not sell on their own merits (quality/aesthetics/utility) but are still hugely popular based on one or more highly successful ad campaigns. Try to be specific about the product and the ad campaign that launched its success. For example...

The George Foreman Grill
41rP8cccmAL.jpg


This piece of shit lives in the basement, garage, or attic of almost everyone I know. It promises convenience, better health (the fat drips right off!), the power to grill indoors. It delivers an impossible to clean waffle maker/griddle hybrid. It was a pop culture staple of the 90's and it's useless and I fucking hate it.

See also: Ronco Rotisserie Oven
Click to expand...
Impossible to clean? You just take off the grates and put them in the dishwasher.
 
C

CarpeDeezNutz

Member
.GqueB. said:
Has beats really remained popular because of ad campaigns though? Seems to survive on word of mouth and trend. I can't really recall an ad campaign for it personally.
Click to expand...

And most of the time when I see some one with beats headphones they have them around their neck instead of listening to anything.


I would have to say cigs for my idea, nothing else comes to mind
 
Risible

Risible

Member
You people love you George Foreman because you didn't get the model with the shitty Zig Zag top grill pattern. I have it and it's a fucking nightmare to clean. The bottom plate is normal straight gill design and cleans fine, but the top fucking sucks and the engineer who came up with it should have his fucking college degree revoked.

Found it on Google, look at that top plate abomination:

0b120f2a49de.jpg
Click to expand...
 
Amory

Amory

Member
Agree with the foreman grill btw. Thing "knocked out the fat" all right, and took all the flavor and juices with it.

Plus after a few uses the thing looked and smelled like shit
 
F

FStop7

Banned
Cigarettes and diamonds are the two things listed that I 100% agree with, so far.

I would also add Ferrari and Lamborghini cars, pre-1999. They were real pieces of shit.
 
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