I found something fun for MarketingBlurb readers today. Just when I think I can't see an ad worse than that local car dealership ad that runs in my area featuring the dealership's owner and his parrot, I find a little gem that reminds my why I wrote a book about copywriting to teach small business owners, eBay sellers, Craigslist sellers and beginners how to write copy that sells (to be released in September 2008).
Let me start by saying this is a real Craigslist ad that the Museum of Hoaxes was unfortunate enough to find. Lucky for us, they posted it for the world to see. Here it is, the 'Big Foot Bait' ad.
Where do I begin? First, this ad is filled with copywriting don'ts. Would any sane person respond to this ad? I'm not even sure if it's meant to be serious or not. What perks is the advertiser suggesting? If it is meant to be real, this ad needs a complete rewrite (or at the very least, a proofreading). I'm not surprised it's already been flagged by Craigslist users and removed (it was posted on the Ocala Craigslist site in the 'Strictly Platonic' section - if this ad is real, then I think the ad placement was wrong, too).
If you find any funny, bizarre or downright awful examples of ads, copywriting or marketing online, send me the link at susan@marketingblurb.com, so I can share them with MarketingBlurb's readers. Either we can learn from them or just get a good laugh.
In the meantime, let's have a vote: The Big Foot Bait ad - real or fake? Leave your vote as a comment below.
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