In 2012, research conducted by the Harvard Business School suggested that Internet advertisements are crucial to the US economy. According to Interactive Advertising Bureau president and CEO Randall Rothenburg, “the digital marketing industry is on a positive trajectory that will propel the entire American business landscape forward.” Rothenburg’s perspective is well-founded, considering a PricewaterhouseCoopers study that showed that revenue generated from US Internet ads during the first half of 2012 was up by 14 percent compared to the first half of 2011, accounting for $17 billion.
Internet ads are often integral to any forward-thinking and digitally savvy business, but that doesn’t mean they can’t go horribly, horribly wrong. Here’s a look at 15 inappropriately hilarious online ad placements created through targeted, content-based contextual advertising.