(German Edition: click here!)

Sometimes, the stars align and we get a wonderful glimpse into how hilariously tasteless random chance can be. I've collected a number of these glimpses that people have found and put on the web. This one's been on the Jimmy Kimmel show already:

But it's not just TV that falls victim to ads clashing with content. Web sites with a lot of different types of content and largely random ad placement are also at risk. News sites, for example:

mmmmmmmmmmmmh, tasty!
endless pools, watery grave, yadda yadda
cuppa
what a beaut!
a bacon of truth
that's RACIST!
vote ney? nay!
drrty
sizzling!

As you can see, the more serious a topic is, the more jarring an unfortunate ad placement can be. A very serious topic is of course September 11th:

united, not divided

Virgin even used the power of animation to offend:

frame 1
frame 2

Another sensitive topic is rape - especially prone to inappropriate advertising because so many ads use sexual innuendo and sensual imagery:

damn
getting cocky
at least do it right!

I mean, lube? Seriously?

Anyway, always likely to commit a faux-pas are context-sensitive ads that react to key words in a page:

dream job

But ads aren't just placed awkwardly in the media. The world is full of them:

hungry hungry hippo
hehe. hehehe.
obey

A more seldomly seen occurrence is an ad unfortunately placed not in space, but in time. For example, this ad ran during the height of the SARS scare:

gasp

Once in a while though, you might get the ultimate ad spot:

my my my

(If you speak German, check out these as well)

Update, 25/05/07: I'm moving the additions from the comments to the main post and inlining them. Thanks again to Streetsblog, cioxx, SplitSoul, AtomicDrunk, evilbastard and Georgia Peach.

Nothing is impossible!Nothing is impossible!Nothing is impossible!Nothing is impossible!Nothing is impossible!Nothing is impossible!

One more from cioxx (thanks buddy!):

captain carrot

I feel pretty bad for posting this but I just got this ad with that story and damn, that's some insensitive context sensitivity (or a really dirty mind, if you prefer):

Poor guy

From Press Esc:

Thank you for smoking

Update, Jul 29th: Someone swiped half of this collection and gathered tons of diggs with it. Read about it here.

I'm going to return the favour and add whatever their digg thread generated in findings to this page. Don't hold it against me : )

Posted by Archos:

Bill Frist estimates about 200

Posted by AndrewDBarker:

Delicious and dolorous

Posted by FuriousGopher

The race to help

Posted by MalDON:

That is actually a pretty fortunately placed ad

Posted by gthyb:

V is for victory

Update, Jul 31st 07: From a recent story on digg, submitted by arbiterofcool, a double whammy. BP's committed something, but I'm not sure it is "to using modern technology to treat wastewater"...

guilty!

And from this digg story by GawtMilk:

wow!

And here another new one, via scythoior:

COME ON DO IT

Here's a double whammy from Chagum at digg:

twice the laffs

More stuff:

Jesus Christ, Sun.

pooooooooo
where are you heading

Added 29/05/08 (thanks Swansonite):

wet wet wet

Added 16/06/08, from PhotoshopDisasters:

so angry!check the dilithium bio-gelpack adjustement, aslan!

Added, 08/07/08, Posted on digg by ipek:

bloody hell

Added, 21/09/08, two ads back to back that shouldn't have been from MeTal CaNdYcaNe:

tact!

Added, 25/09/09, from failblog:

the taming of the screwsjust drop it mom okay

This one isn't just unfortunately placed, it's tragically sad. (via Irish Bandit)

damn, britain

Added, 09/10/08, via DrNougat:

getting on like a car on fire!

Added, 23/10/08, via eebliss:

seriously?

Added, 29/10/08, via Gutter Monkey:

i'll have sumo.dat

Added, 01/03/09, via Psykon:

i fear that the double entendre with the overproportional response was not clear enough :(

Added Oct. 2nd, via the new jazz:

maniac manson