Philip Cotler, known as the father of modern marketing, once said, “Marketing is not the art of finding clever ways to dispose what you make; it is the art of creating genuine customer value.” I wonder what he thinks about where marketing is heading these days with lies and manipulation.
Many people catch this deception. When Reddit user Glad_Cat_5129 asked, “What’s the most blatant lie a company is currently getting away with in their advertising?” folks gushed with answers. We compiled the best ones for you to peruse, so just scroll through!
More info: Reddit
#1
Your call is important to us…
We are experiencing a higher call volume…
If it was that important, they would hire people to answer the phones.
Image source: EveningFault8, Mikhail Nilov
#2
Goodwill is not a charity. they are 100% for profit with ceo and people in corporate offices raking in millions every month.
Image source: Level_Bridge7683, Mike Mozart
#3
Flushable toilet wipes.
YOU CAN ALSO FLUSH A SMALL EXPLOSIVE BUT YOU REALLY F*****G SHOULDN’T.
Image source: SmackedWithARuler, jam3013
#4
Every fastfood/restaurant commercial on what they claim their food looks like!! Lies, all lies! .
Image source: Life-Celebration-747, Ilya Mashkov
#5
>**UnitedHealthcare** is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives.
Direct from their website no less.
Image source: ThadisJones, Maryland GovPics
#6
Best coffee in town.’ Every town seems to have 15 of those, though.
Image source: BabyPetalll, Nathan Dumlao
#7
‘You need a subscription to buy this printer ink.’ Like, just let me print in peace.
Image source: SolutionFearless2482, Joonas Sild
#8
Toilet paper math… 8 rolls =12 rolls ! 12 rolls = 36 !!
Image source: NewHumbug, jlay721
#9
“All-natural” claims on products that still contain synthetic ingredients.
Image source: Twilight_Whispers, Towfiqu barbhuiya
#10
Game ads — NEVER like actual game play.
Image source: lampministrator, games
#11
Apple and their apple AI.
Image source: muki94, Siva Seshappan
#12
I recently went to a Dollar Store and everything was $1.25.
Image source: Bike_Mechanic_Man, Mike Mozar
#13
ANYTHING Xfinity/Comcast advertises.
Image source: Nalabu1
#14
Playtex – as they sell feminine products, I assume must have some farce of caring about women’s health…I hope?
Their products contain chemicals banned in Europe. These chemicals leech into our reproductive systems causing fertility issues. The company donated to Trump.
They don’t care if they k**l women or prevent births to make money. .
Image source: hermanshermitz, The Stuff I Use Channel
#15
TurboTax has for the longest time sold their Federal product for $39.99 and told you that you can pay it out of your refund, they will ‘just deduct the $39.99 fee from your refund.’
What they dont tell you is that there is a $39.99 fee in order to pay your balance of $39.99. So the total is actually ~$80.
Image source: shitz_brickz, Kaboompics.com
#16
Any skincare product claiming to “visibly lift” anything. There is no physical mechanism by which anything like that could happen.
Image source: debsmooth, Kaboompics.com
#17
“NUMBER ONE MOVIE IN AMERICA!”
…sure thing Sherlock Gnomes.
Image source: RoseCuddles_, Jakob Owens
#18
“Best Buy” was opened with the promise of their name being a guarantee. That guarantee didn’t even last a week before they walked it back. Now it’s one of the worst places to purchase low-end consumer electronics. Their actual name is a lie.
Image source: yParticle, Mike Mozart
#19
One of the most blatant lies could be from companies claiming their products are “eco-friendly” or “sustainable” without offering clear evidence or certifications. Many brands use greenwashing tactics to appear environmentally conscious without making real, impactful changes to their practices.
Image source: WordsThatTingle, ready made
#20
We are raising the prices so we can keep delivering you great products.
Also, that thing you like and buy our products for? Yeah we don’t do that anymore.
Image source: babypho, Rajiv Perera
#21
The vitamin industry.
Image source: Udunwithdat, Daily Nouri
#22
Those Prevagen commercials are selling modern day snake oil.
Image source: TraditionalTackle1, Prevagen
#23
Dating apps like Hinge claim they’re ‘Designed to be deleted,’ but not because you’ve found someone…. Just out of sheer frustration with their algorithms and paywalls! It should be illegal to manipulate people’s emotions like this!
Image source: groupmemberr, Julio Lopez
#24
That’s gotta be clean coal, right? What else comes close?
#25
Every single car dealership in American advertising any kind of deal. They’re all made up b******t, either they don’t have the inventory to support the deal or they are for trim levels or combinations the dealerships just don’t order. Those “deals” are entirely to trick you into just coming to the dealership.
IMO though dealerships should be phased out, why can’t I just order a car direct? Why do I, by law, need to go through some random dude who buys hundreds of them and ends up marking up the cost with useless dealer add-ons?
Image source: Osirus1156, Felix
#26
Kohl’s putting things “on sale.” Everything on sale is the same price as it is in other stores, and everything that isn’t is wildly overpriced. Found a paid of Enzo shorts in Kohl’s for like $100 last summer. The ones on sale were closer to $40.
Image source: BraveLittleTowster, Vladimir Srajber
#27
Red Bull gives you wings!
Image source: useless_128mb, Jesper Brouwers
#28
Loblaws in Canada and most of their stores advertising “lowest prices” on things they are clearly wildly overpriced.
Image source: rohobian, Siora Photography
#29
Most ads by Apple.
Image source: tap_water_enjoyer, Tomasz Kulesa
#30
A brand of ginger ale here says it’s “made FROM real ginger”. Ginger is the ingredient present in the smallest amount. I’ve made real ginger ale from real ginger and I use several times as much ginger as sugar.
I wouldn’t mind if it said “made WITH real ginger”.
Image source: 314159265358979326, Willis Lam
#31
There has to be some sort of lie in those O-O-O-Ozempic commercials.
Image source: buizel123, Commercial Archivist
#32
You can rent a U-haul for $19.95 per day.
Image source: Sea_Fix5048
#33
Miller lite tastes great.
Image source: JoePW6964
#34
Tic Tacs are made almost entirely of sugar.
Image source: Oddish_Femboy
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