I remember the ad Tubegroover mentions. It get my vote too. It is actually bad marketing. We remember the woman, not the product. Mr. Wipple was not pretty, but we all remember the product. That's good marketing.
Favorite Audio Ad
Advertising never ceases to amaze me - there are so many different angles that can be taken, some are great, some not so great. My current favorite ad, though, is the one that has been appearing in Stereophile for Paradigm speakers. It shows a woman decked out to be a sophisticated professional sitting on a chair between a pair of Paradigm speakers facing out into the room. Behind the three of them (they're all facing the same way) is a big brick wall and, of course, it's wood flooring.
Just to be sure that we understand how sophisticated this music lover is, despite her awkward positioning, she's studying the back of a John Coltrane record cover. She's so into it that she can't take the time to put her other albums away, though, as they're scattered on the floor at her feet including a couple that aren't even in their covers - they're lying there naked on the floor. Who, exactly, is Paradigm trying to appeal to with this? Every angle (except humor) that I look at this from breaks down. At least I get a good laugh every time I see it.
Anyone else have an ad they think is particularly good, bad, ridiculous, tongue-in-cheek effective, etc.?