Advertising

Watch a Helicopter Project a Video onto an Enormous Banner Towed by Another Helicopter

To help promote its Video Music Awards that aired last night, last week MTV employed a novel approach to aerial advertising. Instead of having a plane pulling a large banner, it used a pair of helicopters to create a flying movie theater that the Guinness Book of World Records has confirmed as the world’s largest…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Aug 29

KFC Is Giving Away Sunscreen That Makes You Smell Like Fried Chicken

The summer is drawing to a close, but there’s still time to catch some rays, get a glowing tan, and smell like extra crispy fried chicken. Kentucky Fried Chicken—or KFC as it likes to be called now—is giving away tubes of sunscreen that make you smell like you’ve slathered yourself in the Colonel’s secret 11…

Health Andrew Liszewski Aug 22

These Pizza Boxes Turn Into Working, Greasy DJ Decks

That sad, empty feeling when the last slice of pizza gets eaten might be a little easier to bare now that Pizza Hut in the UK will be packing its pies in special boxes that turn into a pair of playable DJ decks, complete with mixer, letting you follow up dinner with some jams. The…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Aug 17

Facebook and Adblock Plus Are Stuck in a Hacking War

It’s a game of cat and mouse. On Tuesday, Facebook announced it would begin circumventing ad blocking software in an effort to show more ads in the News Feed. The ad-blocking community was pissed and vowed to fix the problem. Two days later, Adblock Plus contributors made good on their promise and released a workaround,…

Social Media Michael Nunez Aug 12

Fire Was the Future of Advertising in 1923

Americans didn’t invent outdoor advertising. That distinction would probably have to go to the ancient Egyptians who would put up notices offering rewards for runaway slaves. But Americans certainly moved the outdoor advertising art form forward in our own ostentatious way during the 20th century. With the rapid adoption of the car, people were increasingly…

Tech News Matt Novak Jul 19

It’s Impossible to Tell a Pied Piper Parody Ad From an Actual Facebook Ad

At the start of last night’s Silicon Valley, Pied Piper is in a pickle. Although the startup’s new file-compression tool has been well-received, it needs to increase its daily active users to rake in more capital. So Richard Hendrix and the boys try a revolutionary new approach: Pied Piper makes a TV commercial. If it…

Social Media Alissa Walker Jun 20

Stop Facebook From Following You Around the Web

As it often does, Facebook recently tweaked the way its advertising (and privacy) settings work, which means you now have extra options when it comes to stopping your social media activities from following you around the web. Here are the new and old settings you need to know about. First of all, Facebook builds up…

Gadgets David Nield Jun 19

Now Advertisers Are Watching Your Emoji

Once, emoji was just emoji. Now it’s another way for businesses to look into our souls—er, feeds—and see if we might like to buy something. Twitter is rolling out a new feature that lets advertisers target people who have tweeted a specific emoji. The social network, which hasn’t made a profit despite a decade of…

Tech News Angela Chen Jun 16

Columbia Turned Its Clothing Labels Into Stainless Steel Survival Tools

To help reinforce the idea that its clothing is designed for rugged outdoor adventures, Columbia is turning the informational hang tags on some of its garments into stainless steel survival tools that do everything from cut wood, to fix clothing tears, to filter water. It’s first and foremost a clever marketing gimmick for Columbia. After…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski Jun 15

Get Ready for More Ads on Snapchat

It had to happen sometime. Snapchat may be one of the most popular apps, but millions of face swaps don’t exactly equal cold, hard cash. You know what does? Showing ads between friends’ stories. The good news: You can skip them (for now). The bad news: The video ads are full screen, with sound, and…

Tech News Angela Chen Jun 14

Verizon’s ‘Can You Hear Me Now?’ Guy Works for Sprint Now

The onetime public face of Verizon—famous for asking “can you hear me now?” in its ads—has defected to Sprint. And it’s not subtle. In Sprint’s new ads featuring actor Paul Marcarelli the actor calls out his old employer by name. The ads are even called “Paul Switched.” “Hey, I’m Paul, and I used to ask…

Tech News Angela Chen Jun 6

Facebook Will Now Track You and Force Feed You Ads Even If You Don’t Use It

There is no escaping Facebook’s advertising reach. The social network has announced that it will now be foisting ads on to every single person who uses third-party sites that are signed up to its advertising scheme, regardless of whether the user has a Facebook account or not. Until now, Facebook showed ads only to its…

Social Media Jamie Condliffe May 27

Great Deal Alert: For $30,000 You Can 3D-Print a Life-Size Clone of Yourself For Mother’s Day

Can’t make it back to Smalltown, USA, for Mother’s Day this weekend? That’s OK. Your mom will happily pretend that a phone call and a flower delivery is enough. But imagine her excitement if instead of flowers, someone delivered a life-size 3D-printed replica of you to her door? That’s exactly what Groupon is offering with…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski May 6

This Is How an Airplane Picks Up a Banner While Flying in the Air

Ever wonder how those advertising airplanes that annoy you at beaches get their flying banners attached to the airplane? Me neither. I thought the planes just had those banners attached when they took off. Not the case! Apparently, the planes have to first be flying before they hook onto a specific target in order to…

Sploid Casey Chan Apr 20

How the Hell Are These Fan-Made Warcraft Promos So Much Better Than the Official Ones?

Actually, I’ll tell you how: The promotional material for the Warcraft movie has been atrocious. But that shouldn’t take away the fact that these gifs made by a Polish Warcraft fan are pretty great. The fan, who goes by Quass on Twitter, has been posting neat little gifs that compare the locations shown in the…

io9 James Whitbrook Apr 7

Study Shows That Flattering Targeted Ads Would Be a Great Method of Social Control

Everyone reading this has stared at a targeted ad wondering why anyone thought it applied to them. A new study shows that making people guess why a targeted ad applies to them, and feel flattered by it, gets them to open their wallets—and just maybe become a better person. Nobody is entirely immune to the…

Tech News Esther Inglis-Arkell Mar 2

Brace Yourself For Ads in Facebook Messenger This Spring

Chatting to businesses on Facebook Messenger may leave you wide open to targeted ads. That’s according to a leaked document that suggests voluntarily speaking to businesses via Facebook’s chat app will allow them to send ads your way. According to the document, obtained by TechCrunch, “businesses will be able to send ads as messages to…

Social Media Jamie Condliffe Feb 19

Deadpool Just Got a Thumbs Up from the Only Critic Who Matters: Betty White

Look, we know Deadpool’s cute advertising campaign has gotten absurdly out of control . But you’ve got to make exceptions for Betty White. You just have to. It’s an unwritten law we must all abide by. https://gizmodo.com/the-deadpool-movie-marketing-is-out-of-control-1757366298 Betty—star of The Golden Girls, a show that Deadpool has long had a fondness for in the comics…

io9 James Whitbrook Feb 11

The Deadpool Movie Marketing Is Out of Control

I don’t know if any of you guys have heard about it, but there’s a Deadpool movie coming to theaters. Just so you know. They’ve been pretty restrained in promoting it. But I jest. The Deadpool marketing has been good, but for me (and I get that my job means I am exposed to it…

Movies Katharine Trendacosta Feb 5

Twitter’s Stopped Showing Ads (to Its Favorite Users)

Stopped seeing ads on Twitter? Probably not. Because while the social network has been experimenting with showing less promotional content, it’s only for its most valuable of users. Re/code reports that “to a small group of some of its most prominent and active users… Twitter is an ad-free, or nearly ad-free, experience.” The idea, it…

Tech News Jamie Condliffe Jan 26

Watch a Helicopter Project a Video onto an Enormous Banner Towed by Another Helicopter

KFC Is Giving Away Sunscreen That Makes You Smell Like Fried Chicken

These Pizza Boxes Turn Into Working, Greasy DJ Decks

Facebook and Adblock Plus Are Stuck in a Hacking War

Fire Was the Future of Advertising in 1923

It’s Impossible to Tell a Pied Piper Parody Ad From an Actual Facebook Ad

Stop Facebook From Following You Around the Web

Now Advertisers Are Watching Your Emoji

Columbia Turned Its Clothing Labels Into Stainless Steel Survival Tools

Get Ready for More Ads on Snapchat

Verizon’s ‘Can You Hear Me Now?’ Guy Works for Sprint Now

Facebook Will Now Track You and Force Feed You Ads Even If You Don’t Use It

Great Deal Alert: For $30,000 You Can 3D-Print a Life-Size Clone of Yourself For Mother’s Day

This Is How an Airplane Picks Up a Banner While Flying in the Air

How the Hell Are These Fan-Made Warcraft Promos So Much Better Than the Official Ones?

Study Shows That Flattering Targeted Ads Would Be a Great Method of Social Control

Brace Yourself For Ads in Facebook Messenger This Spring

Deadpool Just Got a Thumbs Up from the Only Critic Who Matters: Betty White

The Deadpool Movie Marketing Is Out of Control

Twitter’s Stopped Showing Ads (to Its Favorite Users)

Amazon Is Sticking With ‘Rings of Power’ to the End

Trump Is Reportedly Going Full Steam Ahead with the Golden Dome

‘Kamen Rider’ Is Ready to Take on the World

Twitter Just Can’t Stop Leaking Movies

The ‘Mass Effect’ Show is Getting Rewritten to Get Greenlit

See the Early Stages of How ‘Project Hail Mary’ Brought Rocky to Life

‘Cognitive Surrender’ Is a New and Useful Term for How AI Melts Brains

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Let us help find what you are looking for...