• Brandweek, Tuesday, December 20, 2005 11:45 AM

How bad does an ad have to be before the marketer behind it renounces it? Pretty bad, as Boeing and Bell Helicopter Textron realized about the print ad they ran in the Sept. 24 issue of The National Journal. "It descends from the heavens," the copy boasted about the V-22 Osprey aircraft, which is pictured lowering troops into a mosque. "Ironically, it unleashes hell." In its first-ever list of the "Best & Worst Marketing Ideas of 2005," Brandweek magazine points out: "So indisputably tasteless was this bit of braggadocio that Boeing immediately renounced its own message as 'offensive' and apologized to Islamic relations groups in the U.S. for the ad's content." Others on the "Worst" list include pharmaceutical marketer Merck for its Vioxx fiasco and Blockbuster for its bogus "End of Late Fees" initiative. The "Best" list included Dove and Curvation for their campaigns aimed at "real" women and Miller Brewing for its light beer sparring match with Anheuser-Busch that focused on taste.

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