function hide_user_promo_bubble_second_stage() { var bubble = $("user_promo_bubble"); bubble.style.display = "none"; } function hide_user_promo_bubble() { var bubble = $("user_promo_bubble"); var myAnim = new YAHOO.util.Anim(bubble, { opacity: { to: 0 } }, 1, YAHOO.util.Easing.easeOut); myAnim.animate(); setTimeout("hide_user_promo_bubble_second_stage()", 1100); } function handle_promo_username(params) { var bubble = $("user_promo_bubble"); var img = $("user_promo_bubble_image"); var anchor = $("user_promo_bubble_link"); if (params.has_photo == "true") { img.src = "http://images.huffingtonpost.com/profiles/" + params.user_id + "-tiny.png"; } else { img.style.display = "none"; Dom.addClass(anchor, "wide"); } anchor.innerHTML = "Shared by " + params.user_name; anchor.href = "http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/" + params.user_name; bubble.style.display = "block"; var myAnim = new YAHOO.util.Anim(bubble, { opacity: { to: 1 } }, 2, YAHOO.util.Easing.easeOut); myAnim.animate(); } if (HuffPoUtil.getUrlVar("user_promo")) { YAHOO.util.Event.onDOMReady(function() { var parts = document.location.hash.split(","), shared_by = "", badge = "", i; if (parts.length < 2) return; for (i = 0; i < parts.length; i++) { if (parts[i].indexOf("sb=") !== -1) { shared_by = parts[i]; } if (parts[i].indexOf("b=") !== -1) { badge = parts[i]; } } if (shared_by == "" || badge == "") return; var bubble = $("user_promo_bubble"); if (!bubble) return; var entry_id = HuffPoUtil.GetEntryID(); if (!entry_id) return; var user_id = parseInt(shared_by.substr(shared_by.indexOf("sb=") + 3)); if (!user_id) return; var badge_type = badge.substr(badge.indexOf("b=") + 2); if (!badge_type) return; script = document.createElement("script"); script.setAttribute("type", "text/javascript"); bubble.appendChild(script); script.setAttribute("src", "/include/share_track.php?a=view&eid=" + entry_id + "&uid=" + user_id + "&b=" + badge_type + "&cb=handle_promo_username"); }); } The Funniest Marketing Fails Of All Time (PHOTOS)

You may have heard about some of the classic cases where marketing went wrong. Remember Pepsi's slogan "Come Alive with the Pepsi Generation"? In Taiwan, that translated as "Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead." KFC's "Finger Lickin' Good" translated in Chinese as "Eat your fingers off." And then there was Sweden's famous vacuum-cleaner promo: "Nothing Sucks like Electrolux." Here are a few lesser known marketing failures to enjoy. Marketing and advertising execs take note. This is just a small sample. With nearly a billion people speaking English as a first, second or third language and 800 million international trips taken in the last year, companies are international whether they plan to be or not. Plus, according to Wikipedia, there are over 133 regional varieties of English, 12 types of official English pidgins and creoles, and 27 or newfangled blends, such as Chinglish (Chinese and English), Spanglish, and Swinglish. The lingual landscape is changing before our eyes. How do you keep these fails from happening to your company? As I've counseled while showing this collection on the lecture circuit, one of the best ways is to familiarize yourself with the most common gaffes. This helps train your brain for every misinterpretation and double entendre. One little mistake and you may have trouble reigning in that viral brand-damaging campaign. Have a great failed marketing sign? Send it in at www.signspotting.com

Myass Is Now Open

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WHERE: Yass, Australia
CREDIT: Patrick Kong

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Comments

[bobbiecat]

'cuz when you think of worms, you think of fine wine.....

[ZanScott49]

My husband used to work as a mechanic at Hertz Equipment Rental. He brought home one of the free calendars that they gave to customers because the tag line read, "We rent heavy equipment to small tools."

[SlinkyTWF]

I wish I had a photo of an old, out-of-business repair shop that used to be on Monroe Dr. in Atlanta, GA. Their huge sign read, "S&M Clutch and Brake."

[al d]

The worm casting/wine making supply store is a vestige from prohibition. It was illegal to make your own beer and wine until the 1970s. They officially sold worm castings and sold the potable items on the down low. When the law changed they were able to come out of the closet and do both formally. In Santa Cruz County, CA there is a vacuum cleaner/beer and wine making supply store run by a classic old woman with many stories. My favorite was the wealthy arab royalty kid who had her repackage dried malt extract into flour bags and ship to Saudi...

[textynn]

Welcome , Go home. Classic

[joseph11]

I appreciate the concern which is been rose. The things need to be
sorted out because it is about the individual but it can be with
everyone.
__________­__________­__________­__________­__________­__________­__
joseph11

Car Used

[NHGranite]

MYass Australia - out back and down under

[tucsonaz]

best name ever.....Melvin Thogmartin

[Rosaleen]

Drive thru seating? haha

[SteveDenver]

One of my favorites is from the side of a bus, a snapshot that has been circulating the web for a few years:

"SOFA KING: Our prices are Sofa King low!"

[StephenJK]

That is wee todd did.

[FaeKnight]

Don't forget the biggest marketing fail of all time: Chevrolet selling the Nova in Mexico. They couldn't figure out why it wasn't selling until somebody pointed out that "No va" in Spanish means "doesn't go"! They then changed the name to Apollo.

[Amadahy]

Hilarious. LOL

[BannedInBoston]

Which means "piece of _shit" in Spanish (or any other language....)

[MystiBlue71]

Really? Are people that stupid?

[DrMatt]

Yes. Watch a video clip from a teabag party.

[MystiBlue71]

Had to Google it and I stand corrected. People truly ARE that stupid. But it sure puts a smile on my face!

[mapleaforever]

Used cows? How used?

[SteveDenver]

In some parts of the country, it could qualify as "divorce."

[emncaity]

"Melvin Thogmartin"? Really?

Also--the comment on the barbershop is first-rate.

[Piper Steinkraus]

pretty hilarious