When marketing ideas go wrong...

**Switchcraft** · 11-22-2006, 10:16 PM

Several of the websites I visit to watch random video content include an annoying set of ads by an "adult" personals site.

You may have seen these ads: invariably they contain a series of supposed "member" photos and fake screen names of ostensibly single women.

The towns listed for the girls are always nearby whatever location they can determine from your IP address.

The problem with this idea is that if it works, it only works once. The names and pictures are randomized, and if you see a few pages on one website that have these ads, you will immediately see names and pictures that don't match how they were previously.

This kind of system seems pretty intelligent, until you run into a mistake like my friend on Long Island found tonight, when she came across this ad:

It is not only showing up like that for random names and locations, but it is showing up extremely frequently. Oops.

icky · 11-22-2006, 10:50 PM

Oh man that's funny! And I thought those girls/ogres were all from *MY* area.

Now I have to remember one of those sites...

Edit: Found one, refreshed about 20 times, no ogre for me

(

**Dirtboy** · 11-22-2006, 10:56 PM

The third one down is SEXY...that is my kind of girl. At least its better than the past girls I hooked up with from that damn Myspace website:P

freekyE · 11-23-2006, 12:02 AM

Its awful mean of you to make fun of someone based on how they look Switchcraft.....

**CingularDuality** · 11-23-2006, 05:19 AM

Do you think that's marketing gone wrong, or do you think it's intended to attract attention to and lend credibility to the other three "profiles"?

**Switchcraft** · 11-23-2006, 08:23 PM

I could have been more clear in the wording of my thread title.

I'm fairly sure this is not a sanctioned activity. I think that somebody swapped a member photo, either on the client side (I have heard of girls seeing their own pictures in this particular type of ad, and it is possible one of them switched her profile picture to "get back" at the company) or on the technical side...perhaps a disgruntled employee.

Your idea, of it lending legitimacy, is not a bad one, but it has two immediate problems. One is licensing...I don't think whoever owns the license for Shrek is going to let that picture be used to advertise for a site that specializes in swingers and NSA sex, and the people who run that site try hard to keep copyrighted photos out of it.

The other is just practicality...they don't have enough pictures in their pool of "random" photos to not see the Shrek photo on every 2 or 3 page loads, and each would be a different screen name and hometown...a memorable photo like that serves to more quickly illustrate that the ads have no credibility. You might think it's just deja vu if you see a girl in front of a webcam, but you'll very likely remember seeing Shrek.

**leejo** · 11-24-2006, 08:50 AM

I would wreck that Shrek.

11-22-2006, 10:16 PM	#1 (permalink)
Switchcraft Join Date: May 2003 Location: New York, NY Age: 30 Posts: 859	When marketing ideas go wrong... Several of the websites I visit to watch random video content include an annoying set of ads by an "adult" personals site. You may have seen these ads: invariably they contain a series of supposed "member" photos and fake screen names of ostensibly single women. The towns listed for the girls are always nearby whatever location they can determine from your IP address. The problem with this idea is that if it works, it only works once. The names and pictures are randomized, and if you see a few pages on one website that have these ads, you will immediately see names and pictures that don't match how they were previously. This kind of system seems pretty intelligent, until you run into a mistake like my friend on Long Island found tonight, when she came across this ad: It is not only showing up like that for random names and locations, but it is showing up extremely frequently. Oops.

11-22-2006, 10:50 PM	#2 (permalink)
icky Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Ottawa Valley Posts: 6,154	Re: When marketing ideas go wrong... Oh man that's funny! And I thought those girls/ogres were all from MY area. Now I have to remember one of those sites... Edit: Found one, refreshed about 20 times, no ogre for me ( __________________ Peace through fear... since 1947!

11-22-2006, 10:56 PM	#3 (permalink)
Dirtboy Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Las Vegas! Age: 24 Posts: 3,160	Re: When marketing ideas go wrong... The third one down is SEXY...that is my kind of girl. At least its better than the past girls I hooked up with from that damn Myspace website:P __________________ \|TG-6th\| Dirtboy Need an Admin? \| Want to help TG? \| The 6th Devil's Brigade Jump on it!

11-23-2006, 12:02 AM	#4 (permalink)
freekyE Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: indiana Posts: 1,000	Re: When marketing ideas go wrong... Its awful mean of you to make fun of someone based on how they look Switchcraft.....

11-23-2006, 05:19 AM	#5 (permalink)
CingularDuality Join Date: May 2003 Location: Dallas/Ft. Worth area of Texas, USA Age: 33 Posts: 16,594	Re: When marketing ideas go wrong... Do you think that's marketing gone wrong, or do you think it's intended to attract attention to and lend credibility to the other three "profiles"? __________________ Become a supporting member! -- Shop at the Tactical Market! Take the world's smallest political quiz! "I was touched by His Noodly Appendage." TacticalGamer TX LAN/BBQ Veteran:

11-23-2006, 08:23 PM	#6 (permalink)
Switchcraft Join Date: May 2003 Location: New York, NY Age: 30 Posts: 859	Re: When marketing ideas go wrong... I could have been more clear in the wording of my thread title. I'm fairly sure this is not a sanctioned activity. I think that somebody swapped a member photo, either on the client side (I have heard of girls seeing their own pictures in this particular type of ad, and it is possible one of them switched her profile picture to "get back" at the company) or on the technical side...perhaps a disgruntled employee. Your idea, of it lending legitimacy, is not a bad one, but it has two immediate problems. One is licensing...I don't think whoever owns the license for Shrek is going to let that picture be used to advertise for a site that specializes in swingers and NSA sex, and the people who run that site try hard to keep copyrighted photos out of it. The other is just practicality...they don't have enough pictures in their pool of "random" photos to not see the Shrek photo on every 2 or 3 page loads, and each would be a different screen name and hometown...a memorable photo like that serves to more quickly illustrate that the ads have no credibility. You might think it's just deja vu if you see a girl in front of a webcam, but you'll very likely remember seeing Shrek.

11-24-2006, 08:50 AM	#7 (permalink)
leejo Join Date: Sep 2003 Age: 39 Posts: 7,513	Re: When marketing ideas go wrong... I would wreck that Shrek.

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