Ewwwvertising: Why Advertisers Want to Creep You Out

Quick, avert your eyes, automatonophobes!

Even if you don’t suffer from an irrational fear of wax figures, mannequins and ventriloquist dummies, you might get the willies after watching a new commercial for Colorado-based FirstBank.

The ad, called Bargain Dummy, sends a creepy wooden doll home with a clueless yard sale shopper. Why was it free? Oh, he’ll find out.

The 30-second spot, running on national broadcast and cable TV and across digital platforms like Hulu, ESPN, Yahoo and Pandora, is an example of spine-tingling marketing for brands as diverse as radial tires, ice cream shops, cell phones and house paint. Read more...