Whatever happened to Stupid Nonprofit Ads?
It’s a long-running series on this blog with 49 posts, going all the way back to the beginning, in October 2009
But it’s been awhile since the last time. December 2019 to be exact. That’s pre-pandemic!
So is Stupid Nonprofit Ads over?
Maybe.
I don’t see Stupid Nonprofit Ads as often as I used to. I focus on a very specific form of stupid: High-concept, high production-value creative that is born from arrogance, nurtured by ignorance, and made possible by the insecure egos of nonprofit executives. (Also, it nearly always uses ineffective media, mainly magazine print ads and 30-second TV spots.)
I don’t know if I’m not seeing them because there really are fewer of them than there used to be. That would be good, but it seems unlikely.
It also might be that I’m just not finding them much any more. There used to be a couple of ad-industry blogs that showcased award-winning and other highly “creative” advertising -- exactly what Stupid Nonprofit Ads often are. Those blogs are gone.
But it might be I don’t see them because I’m less interested in them.
Get right down to it, weird ads by out-of-touch ad agencies aren’t really a big problem in the fundraising world. While they deserve to be pointed out and laughed at, they aren’t a threat for very many of us.
If you see a Stupid Nonprofit Ad, let me know. (To understand more what I mean, read What makes a Stupid Nonprofit Ad stupid?)
Or enjoy a visit to the Stupid Nonprofit Ads archives.
