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Nowadays, we are bombarded with advertisements everywhere we go. Social media is flooded with them, from blatant commercials to sneaky sponsored posts, and you’re likely to encounter dozens of ads while walking down the street. They’re plastered on billboards, all over buses and required viewing before any film.

We can’t get away from marketing, which means that most advertisements just blur together. But if something is particularly hilarious, whether it was intended to be or not, it might just stand out from the crowd. Below, you’ll find a list that Bored Panda has compiled of some of the funniest advertising placement fails people have ever spotted out in the wild. Enjoy scrolling through these ads that somehow ended up in the most unfortunate places, and be sure to upvote the ones that make you laugh!

#1 That’s Funny

Image credits: WallStreetMav

#2 Catholic School Bus Design Fail

Image credits: 197six

#3 This Ad At A Bus Stop

Image credits: reddit.com

It’s not easy to create great advertisements. In fact, most of us aren’t fans of ads or commercials in general, so we’re more likely to try to ignore or skip through them whenever possible. And when it comes to why so many ads are failures, Bullseye Media notes that being too “sales-y” is a huge problem. We don’t like to feel like a company is pressuring us or trying to shove their message down our throats. So if they’re trying too hard, potential customers are immediately turned off.

Companies also need to know their audience if they want to have a successful ad. While they might want to sell to everyone, that’s just not going to be realistic for the majority of brands. If they can hone in on their demographic, they can find a way to speak those customers’ language and appeal to them specifically.

#4 Funny Bus Ad

Image credits: singingsprocket

#5 The Greatest Ad Placement Ever

Image credits: Robolegg

#6 Heart Failure And McDonald’s

Image credits: reddit.com

Another mistake companies often make in advertising is failing to have clear goals, Bullseye Media says. Before running an ad, they must know exactly what they would like for the results of that ad to be. Do they want to bring in more customers on Wednesdays for dinner? Are they looking to get more customers who have children? Or are they trying to boost their sales of a certain bundle? The company should always know what they’re chasing.

So what should businesses be doing to have successful ads? Well, Harvard Business Review reports that it’s wise to follow the ADPLAN framework. And the first aspect of this is: Attention. When creating an ad, it’s crucial that it will grab consumers’ attention. Whether that means including a catchy slogan, a popular song or a celebrity cameo, the advertisement better hook customers.

#7 Good Catch

Image credits: shaaninani

#8 Not Sure If This Billboard Placement Was Intentional, But It Sure Got A Chuckle Out Of Me

Image credits: TheMerkabahTribe

#9 Perfect Ad Placement

Image credits: reddit.com

Next, ad creators should be looking to make something distinct. The average person is exposed to thousands of advertisements every single day, so we’re definitely ignoring the vast majority of them. Not only does the ad need to be unique, but it also needs to set the company apart from its competitors. This requires creativity and ingenuity, but it’s worth it when a brilliant ad starts bringing in plenty of sales!

#10 They Didn’t Plan On People Opening The Window

Image credits: ghatroad

#11 Hunger?

Image credits: r_il

#12 Former Daycare Left Some Signage Up When They Had To Sell The Property

Image credits: Happygravestone

The next feature of ads that can make or break them is: the positioning of the brand. Does it actually make the company look trustworthy and reliable? It’s crucial for commercials and ads to position their brand in a positive light that will bring customers in. It’s not about one specific product, and ideally, it’s not a generic ad that will blur into the background of incessant advertising. But it will make a company stand out, and it will show just how special they are.

#13 Life Has A Certain Poetry To It

Image credits: GraniteCapybara

#14 I’m Trying To Get Home

Image credits: dcoughl02

#15 She Chose Nothing

Image credits: ElyianaMagic

Another key factor in advertising is linkage. According to Harvard Business Review, this is what companies need to consider to assure that consumers actually associate their ad with their brand. For example, it’s great to have a clever or hilarious commercial that amuses viewers. But it’s pointless if they forget a few minutes later what company the ad was even for.

#16 Just Riding The Bus

Image credits: prosto_mokasin

#17 Truly Perfect Wording

Image credits: Slimsteffer

#18 Shocked By This Bus Design

Image credits: meltshake

Next up is amplification, i.e., what will people take away from the message of the ad? It’s great to take risks and have bold ads that stand out, but if the message is completely lost, then the whole thing was pointless. Sometimes, an ad that thinks too far outside of the box means that consumers will only discuss what they saw in a commercial, rather than the actual brand or product that the ad was for in the first place.

#19 Accidentally Snowman

Image credits: huopak

#20 Welcome To El Paso, Texas

Image credits: AwarenessRough5444

#21 Emotional Damage

Image credits: CoconutShawarma

Finally, Harvard Business Review notes that advertisers must consider net equity. Commercials and advertisements must be consistent with the brand that already exists, or they can be confusing for consumers. Go off of the associations that customers already have with your brand; there’s no need to try to reinvent the wheel every time you create an ad campaign.

#22 Lube Ad

Image credits: Bakgon

#23 Company Called Lampoo And Their Cr**py Van Branding

Image credits: Sedalin

#24 Only M**ders In This Building

Image credits: WarlordPete

Are you enjoying these hilarious advertising fails, pandas? Keep upvoting the ones that you can’t believe were spotted in real life, and feel free to let us know in the comments below what the worst advertisement you’ve ever spotted was. Then, if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article featuring facepalm-worthy ad fails, we’ve got the perfect list for you to read next right here!