Cases of Ridiculously False Advertising

Advertising for products has always made outrageous claims. Some are wackier than others. We have all heard these claims on television, "Loose 60 lbs in 4 weeks!" " Work out 5 minutes a day for 6-pack abs!" and most of these claims are so clearly false we can't help but to laugh. Some ads are so ridiculous, they almost make fun of themselves. (See the Snuggie)  I happen to be a fan of such advertising. I get a sick thrill out of "As Seen on TV" infomercials and ads, which are by far the worst offenders of false advertising.

You're doing it Wrong. a video tribute to infomercial actors inability to complete simple everyday tasks. (I have posted this before, but I'm reposting here to make it easier to find and view)

Historically, this is nothing new. Ads have always made outrageous claims. Here are some examples of ridiculously false advertising from yesteryear.


1. Listerine as a Cure-All

This one is pretty well known, but I want to include it anyway. Listerine was the first over-the-counter mouthwash sold in the United States in 1914. By 1921 it was  being advertised a cure-all for everything from the  common cold, to an anti-shave tonic, and a safe way to protect yourself from cuts, bruises, wounds, and stings, Listerine was slapped with numerous false advertisement lawsuits. In 1975, the Federal Trade Commission ordered the company to spend $10 million in corrective advertising, seeing as their product was no more effective in treating colds than gargling warm water. Even then, the mouthwash giant didn’t really learn their lesson. In 2005, the company was slapped with another lawsuit. This time because Listerine claimed it was as “effective as floss” after rigging clinical trials.


2. Cigarettes are Good for You

Dr. Batty's Asthma Cigarettes

Cigarettes with unknown contents claimed to provide temporary relief of everything from asthma to colds, canker sores and bad breath. "Not recommended for children under 6." Uh, yeah. Something tells me that, if someone has asthma, smoking is not going to help that.

3. Lydia Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound

Touted as one of the world’s first successful businesswomen, Lydia Pinkham exploited her reputation as a local medicine woman to propel her herbal remedy into a commercial success, eventually grossing almost $400,000 yearly. The remedy claimed to cure all womanly ailments and weaknesses and sold for $1 a bottle. What was in the herbal remedy? Turns out, it contained less than 1% solid substance from vegetable extracts and almost 20% alcohol. If a woman took the suggested 1 tablespoon every 2-4 hours, she will have consumed 5 ounces of 13.5% or higher alcohol by the end of the day – more than enough for a healthy buzz that made life seem a bit more cheery to boozy housewives. When the Federal Trade Commission tightened its laws on claims made by medicines, Lydia Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound had to swallow the restrictions with a spoonful of sugar.

4. Soda is Good for Kids

I found more than one of these ads. The other one was for  7 Up soda. They basically said the same thing which was that babies should be given soda as part of a health routine. This soda ad above states "Laboratory tests conducted over the past 5 years have proven that babies given cola intheir formative years had a much higher chance of gaining acceptance during their pre-teen years".

5. Medications

You knew I had to include something medical, right? WEll, I found some old ads for medications that are hilarious by today's medical standards.

Thorazine: a potent anti-psychotic. Not often used today.

Cocaine as toothache drops.