Tumblr Ad Reviews

Reviewing and rating ads, primarily those seen on Tumblr .

[ad-reviewer]

hi

i’m going to be reviewing tumblr ads on this account

methodology i rate ads on 3 main criteria:

clarity: how clear is the ad about what it’s selling and why customers should want it?

format: how well is the ad formatted? does it utilize its medium effectively? are there obvious mistakes?

targeting: is the ad something that i am interested in or might reasonably be interested in?

i average these three together to get a final result, which i may alter to account for other factors not encompassed by the three factors above. i also provide an additional rating of weirdness, which doesn’t factor into the overall rating.

sourcing the ads i rate mainly come from my dashboard, but if you’d like to send me other ads (from tumblr or other sources) feel free to send me an ask. (you can also just ask me things—i’ll respond!)

[ad-reviewer]

I actually found your blog specifically because I saw this ad.

That's a pretty weird ad!

[ad-reviewer]

Ove cleaner oven cleaner oven cleaner oven cleaner oven cleaner oven cleaner oven cleaner oven cleaner oven cleaner

ovens cleaned

[ad-reviewer]

I don't use this anymore. Message me @analytically if you want the URL.

[catchymemes]

[shieldfoss]

The more I think about it, the more I want to see this recipe

Unless the text is just “make Biryani for 5 people 160 times” this is less of a recipe and more of an industrial processing document, I want to know how this is laid out, what expectations they have of people - I’m assuming it’s for a Pakistani wedding, only because that’s the only place I know of where 800 people + Biryani + English-language recipe makes sense to me, but honestly it could be anything.

[ad-reviewer]

if I'm understanding this correctly, this would be 2,400 pieces of mutton

[hellygf]

TUMBLR STOP SHOWING ME THIS MAN

[ad-reviewer]

this doctor's hand is the size of a finger

thanks for the ask @livingloops!

clarity: 7/10 this is pretty obviously an ad for clickbait about skincare, although the specific remedy is of course not mentioned.

format: 3/10 the text is repeated twice and the parenthetical inside the quotation is odd. the image may be bizarrely eye-catching, but that doesn't really make up for it.

targeting: N/A (this ad was not displayed to me)

verdict: 5/10 the ad is upfront, but repeats things strangely

weirdness: 7/10 the thing being advertised isn't too weird, but the picture is..... so strange.

[house-ad]

The #1 way to browse — and there ain’t no two ways about that!

[ad-reviewer]

im feeling sick so i dont wanna do a whole review but this is a good review

[mementojuicebox]

[ad-reviewer]

K

[ad-reviewer]

should i review Tumblr Blaze promoted posts on this account or not? like for yes, reblog for no, or reply with an opinion

(Tumblr poll feature when)

[ad-reviewer]

the people have spoken! Tumblr Blaze posts will be included (if i see any)

[ad-reviewer]

should i review Tumblr Blaze promoted posts on this account or not? like for yes, reblog for no, or reply with an opinion

(Tumblr poll feature when)

[ad-reviewer]

Ad Review: Snapdragon Hemp

clarity: 5/10 i wasn’t sure if this was an ad for marijuana or not until i saw the tags, but i figured it probably was given the ‘hemp’ and ‘dabs’ references. also shout out to their ‘4+ locations’

format: 8/10 the picture has 2 different fonts and the weed apparatus is strange enough to catch my eye. it looks like fucked up chemistry glassware. however, ‘anytime’ should have a space: ‘any time’

targeting: 2/10 it is illegal for me to purchase marijuana products. also, this company is located in the U.S. state of Tennessee, which is pretty far away from me.

verdict

overall: 5/10

i wish this ad were more direct, but, hey, at least it’s not foundation, weird video hosting, or male grooming! it’s pretty well done

weirdness: 5/10

this post isn’t too weird but it’s getting there

[ad-reviewer]

So the deejo knife? The text on the blade is a “tattoo” and I’m guessing they just assumed you (and much of Tumblr) would like that one. There’s feathers and planes and sailing ships and motorcycles and skulls and pinups and more. The actual inscribed message is optional, for 4 or 5$ and ~35 characters on the handle. I went to look bc I thought that was weird too.

ah okay, separate blade and handle imagery makes a lot of sense! thanks!

[deejoknives]

Love is a double-edged sword. Design your one-of-a-kind pocket knife with Deejo today. Choose from hundreds of customization options like size, handle, finish, and blade design. And don’t forget to add a dedicated message to your knife’s handle!  What will you design?

[ad-reviewer]

clarity: 10/10 this is an advertisement for custom pocketknives. it is very clear & upfront about that fact. good job!

format: 8/10 this is pretty well done: the image is pretty striking (though what's going on with the book in French in the bottom left?) and the knife looks beautiful. however, it's a little confusing in that the custom text is inscribed in the blade in the image, but the body of the ad says that it would go in the handle. i get that "love is a double-edged sword" is on the topic of sharp blades, but it's a bit of a non sequitur here. are the knives meant as romantic gifts?

targeting: 8.5/10 this is actually the sort of the thing i might buy! my SO has talked about romantic knife gifts before.

verdict

overall: 9/10 this is a well-made ad for a product that i might reasonably purchase. also, it's the best ad I've reviewed so far!

weirdness: 3/10 this isn't weird enough to be funny, but it is weird enough to be a hit product with the Tumblr community!

[thyrell]

tumblr ads until 2018: look at this weird submarine look at this weird fish look at this weird airplane! do not approve this ad fhgjafdahjdkg1. insurance discounts for seniors 85+!

tumblr ads 2018-2022: buy disney buy aamazon buy hulu buy disneysplus buy netflix you should kill yourself now. buy amazon

tumblr ads 2022: shave your balls!!! buy a bong! pray with an app! shave your fucking balls!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jame7t]

tumblr ads 2024: here’s the HOTTEST five bloggers in your area- you’ve seen #3 in a dream! tumblr ads 2029-2033: no ads here because its not safe to be near screens (the replacers will get you) tumblr ads 2034: Its fine now :3

[ad-reviewer]

i definitely saw the first type in 2020/1 or so. they just coexisted with streaming services (and in fact those streaming ads coexist with the modern male grooming and prayer ecosystem)

[ad-reviewer]

Ad Review: Hims

format: 3/10 you have a video in which the subjects barely move. i get that you don’t want to show actual erect penises in your advertising, but then why use the video format?

clarity: 6/10 the words “erectile dysfunction” aren’t used anywhere here, but aside from that it’s pretty clear

targeting: 1/10 i’m a lesbian. i think Tumblr is back to thinking im a 50 year old guy though, wonder if I’ll start getting medicaid, prostate cancer, and retirement ads.

verdict

overall: 3/10

this ad isn’t well done and it isn’t well targeted. at least the text part is clear I guess.

weirdness: 5/10

this ad is strange, but it’s not Tumblr weird — erectile dysfunction ads seem more akin to a shady piracy website than a dying social media site

[ad-reviewer]

Ad Review: Hallow App

taFo

clarity: 8/10 it’s clear that this is an ad for Catholic prayer; I’m not too sure how it’d work, but I chalk that up to not being Catholic rather than the ad’s shortcomings.

format: 9/10 the ad is pretty well formatted—the video slideshow shows quotes, although the quotes are a bit odd sometimes.

targeting: 3/10 although I have recently been contemplating my own faith and relationship to religion, i’m currently agnostic and uninterested in Catholicism. this is pretty poorly targeted

verdict

overall: 6.66/10 a well done ad, shown to the wrong person

weirdness: 3/10 a prayer app is a little weird but not that weird