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Subscribe to RSSThis commercial for Luvs diapers took the top -- or bottom -- spot in a contest for "worst ad of the year."
A TV commercial featuring diaper-filling babies took the top prize for "Worst Ad in America" in an annual contest sponsored by The Consumerist.
More than 115,000 of the website's readers cast votes in the contest, with the Luvs diaper commerical the clear winner, garnering 32 percent of the votes.
The advertisement features three grimacing cartoon babies who are part of a so-called “Heavy Dooty Championship,” set to the Tag Team’s 1990s hit “Whoomp There It Is.” The babies appear in succession on a stage, only to turn their backsides toward a panel of judges and have their diapers balloon to become supersized, evidently filling them with, um…dooty. (The Consumerist jokingly refers to the ad as “Poop, there it is.”)
The judges hold up numerical ratings signs in response to each baby’s ever-expanding diaper, and the third baby, whose diaper explodes to become the largest, is given the highest mark. The voiceover explains that “What happens in diapers should stay in diapers.”
Luvs did not immediately respond to a call for comment about the contest achievement.
An advertisement for AT&T wireless service featuring a henpecked husband took second place in the survey, with 24 percent of the vote.
In the spot, a man named Steve excitedly tells his wife, who is gardening in a greenhouse, that he has signed up the whole family for an unlimited messaging plan, after which she berates him for doing something so expensive without asking her. Then, she even lets it slip that she should have married some other guy named John Clark, whence we find out from poor Steve that the unlimited messaging plan was actually free.
In third place, with 18 percent of the vote, was an advertisement for Summer’s Eve, whose commercial for feminine wash implies that wars have been fought and lives lost over women’s nether regions, and so ladies had better lather up.
AT&T fared particularly poorly (or well, depending on one’s perspective) in The Consumerist’s contest, with a total of three ads placing across various categories. Its ad for the Samsung Infuse mobile phone, which runs on AT&T’s 4G wireless service, took fourth place in the “worst ad” category, capturing 14 percent of the vote.
And AT&T’s “flash mob” commercial, in which a man mistakenly participates in an embarrassing display of dancing at New York City’s Grand Central Station because he didn’t get the message that the flash mob was postponed, took first place in the “most grating performance by a human” category. Of course, that might have been the intention of the commercial.
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Gee, and I kinda liked that diaper ad.
The AT&T ad with "Steve" makes me wish he'd go postal on his bitchy wife after her snide comments. If I had a wife like that I'd be kicking her to the curb.
i like the womp there it is. hahahahaha nawww i love it
Whoever created the Luvs ad was obviously imspired by the old Jiffy Pop TV commercials. Well, in this case, Jiffy Poop!
I hate this ad. It is ridiculous and is a clear example of how low american advertising has sunk in recent years. Stupid, and should have never been allowed to air. Smack the creators upside the head and get more intelligent people in there to do your ads. I ALWAYS change the channel when this ridiculous ad comes on TV.
I hated that diaper ad. I thought it was gross.
As for the AT&T ad, I watched it again on youtube. Steve said that the unlimited mobile to mobile minutes were free when he signed them up for unlimited messenging. So how much did the unlimited messenging cost?
I hate the diaper ad, too, but I love the flash mob ad. I thought all of AT&T's ads where people got the message too late were funny, although you couldn't pay me to sign up with AT&T. As for Steve, that bit about not telling us how much unlimited messaging costs never made sense to me, either. It's a dumb ad.
Unlimited text messaging is $20.00 for a single line and $30.00 for a family plan. I figure those rates are pretty standard across the major carriers, but I could be mistaken.
The man's wife in the commercial was way too much of a bitch for that commercial to be likeable. The commercial ends with that dude being trapped in a household with what seems like a relentless bitch. Way to end the commercial on a miserable note. She doesn't even look apologetic at the end.
the diaper ad was obviously referring to Obama and Steve should have shot that bitch
hmmm...i totally missed the obama reference. i am so grateful for these comments in internet articles...otherwise i would be so lost in the world. so naive am i.
[Sarcasm]
Oh that man is such a wuss while she works in a private green house soaking up his green money. Don't advocate domestic violence but might consider an exception. Say what is with protraying the Caucasian males as idiots, wisses, morons and cowards, sense a trend here? As for the other commercial am dam sick of back end droppings and internal rumblings sheesh got enough S__t listeing to Congress and rhe presidential race. Now if they made a product to contain all that I might be intrigued.
I thought the diaper ad was cute :)
Cute? I'd hate to see what you consider distasteful.
To each his own ... I fail to see what is "cute" about a cartoon baby grunting to sling a load of poop into its diaper. In real life or in a commercial ... gross.
I think the diaper ad is just as cute as the bear in the woods charmin ads!!!
Yes and that bear in the woods Charmin ad is just as distasteful. Is nothing sacred anymore??
They both suck. I'm sure there are many more ads we hate....this E.D. stuff is awful. Two minutes solid of some guy talking about how he can't get it up....lovely. And femine odor...all you need is one woman standing in a crowded elevator. She has feminine odor....everybody in the elevator faints from the smell. Add Tuna Turner singing in the background and you've got yourself an ad...one that people, most likely, will remember.
Uh.........What's your beef with Tina Turner?
Hey, if a woman smells, first take a shower. If that doesn't work, see a doctor.
I agree on the AT&T ads with Steve. I think we all hate it because it is so realistic. So many guys are wimps.
I totally agree that E.D. ads and feminine products ads are going too far. Here you are sitting together as a family, maybe at the dinner table and here comes the E.D. commercial. Can't believe that nothing is sacred anymore, NOTHING! Next we will see women showing how to insert a tampon!
By far, you have picked one of the ads that has offended me the most!! Not only is it offensive, but far beyond realistic!! And for the mobile minutes ad, I can't put into print what I would have done to Steve's wife. And as for th Summer's Eve commerical, have we all forgotten the benefits of using just plain soap and water by taking a shower! Just my own opinion working here!!
I'll take the pooppy diaper Luvs ad any day if I don't ever have to see another commercial with people in bathtubs....
What I'd like to know is what people in bathtubs have to do with selling a product for E.D.--makes me wonder about these ad agencies.
I always wanted to plug in some small electrical appliances and toss 'em in those bathtubs.
I hate both those commercials! I also dislike the one where there is only enough room to record one more show, so the parnets discuss their favorite child. Really? How did that get the Green light?!?!?!
The diapers didn't actually explode...and I was disappointed.
That would be a really crappy commercial if that happened...
Pun alert!
I can't stand any of those commercials but the diaper 1 was particularly revolting.The mutt that thought of that fills his Depends up regularly.
And to think ... some stooge for an ad agency is getting paid mega-bucks for coming up with these "cute" and original ads!
this was horrible really i though ads couldn't get any stupider and then they air this....................it deserves worst ad of the year award it was completely pointless and crude
I missed the PRESIDENT Obama reference as well. I thought it would be more appropriate to the Bush fantasy of WMD. Come to think of it, he'd be a better spokesman, his eyes are already brown...
I got to agree that the diaper add was ridiculous. What happened to just showing little cute babies just crawling around instead of a CR*PING contest with an old 90's song that should stay in the ninety's. Flat out disgusting.
The diaper ad I can live with. The other two are tasteless and insulting. Steve's wife needs a boot up her behind and the Summer's Eve ad...well that's just plain disgusting.
I agree with my2fish..the bathtub commercials need a lift, pardon my pun. LOL
hynzerelli, what makes you think someone wearing Depends wrote that ad?
I thought it was funny. You know the ads I absolutely hate (more than I hate all of them)? The ads for the KY His and Hers. Yuck. Really??
Lighten up, people. Geez............. :)
Oh crap!
Since we are talking "tacky". The other day I was in Walmart with my daughter and they had one of those "tacky" blow up Christmas yard ornaments that is the most ridiculous thing I have seen in a long time......... It was Santa in a outhouse, toilet paper roll and all. Talk about Red Neck DELUXE! Just what I want in my yard during Christmas!
Was it really a blow-up lawn ornament, or was it the real thing? It was in WalMart, after all....I don't shop there, so I've never been in their store restrooms, but I've heard stories....
You go to the bathrooms in the back of the store.........they are a bit better than the front ones. The bathrooms in front of the store require a hazmat suit!
Does anyone remember the ad that ran about two years ago for the discrete little "tickler" from KY, that was so nifty that it came in it's own little package for storage? Two gals sitting in a hair salon are discussing it, and the receptionist (who is about 80!) keeps rolling her eyes. Finally, she tells the two ladies that she has this cute little toy herself. Puke. Disgusting. Rates right down there with Jimmy Johnson promoting Extenze!
If you don't have enough of a sense of humor to laugh at the Luvs commercial, you probably don't have enough of a sense of humor to be raising kids! Lots of fun they are, but you wind up laughing at some stuff alright.
Exactly! A cartoon baby filling his diaper...it's just plain funny. Lighten up people.
I think the LUVS commercial is funny and my son (who is 4) and his little friends all crack up when it comes on. Which is probably the point, to get the little kids to like the ad which makes parents take notice. Anyways its way better than some of the other racy ads they have out these days! I bought LUVS the entire time my son was in diapers. They are cheaper than other brands and do just as good a job. Why pay more for the same thing.
I'd rather watch ads like that than paid programming.
Geez Louise, people, take a chill pill. At least the diaper commercial it isn't another feminie hygiene products ad or male ED. And anyone whose ever changed a diaper can relate
Where is everybody's sense of humor ?? At least the sick ones ?? I laugh every time I see the diaper ad. I keep waiting for one to explode !!!! HA !! Now, I don't care who you are, that would be funny !!
And what about thaT DISGUSTING Miracle Whip ad, where the gross actor talks about having a party in his mouth. I've always disliked the taste of Miracle Whip but now, with its reference to oral sex, I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole
I don't like Miracle Whip tastes nasty.
I dislike that ad.