Coming up with a clever sign for marketing purposes can be a challenge. So, it’s no wonder that sometimes even the best efforts can go awry.
The same can be said for long company or business names. The folks on this list tried very hard to convey their message but in the end, it’s the spelling and punctuation that got them. And I, for one, feel a little bad for them, ha, ha!
1. “Our Sungl Asses Give You…”
Hmm, I think something is definitely lost in translation here. And to think they actually printed that in their brochure. It’s bad enough if this type of mistake was online, but in print? Who actually proofread this fiasco?
2. “Joy”
If you didn’t get it, this logo is supposed to spell “Joy.” But don’t feel bad if you couldn’t figure it out all on your own. I guess it could make a good logo for a cult, though. Don’t you think?
3. “Remove Before Insta Lation”
Is it just me or did you also read this in Tim Curry’s voice? I dunno why, but I just couldn’t help myself. It kinda made it sound better. Try it, and tell me what you think.
4. “Discover The Benefits Of Hypnotherapy”
If the benefits of hypnotherapy are depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and so forth, I definitely don’t want to have anything to do with it. Does this sign defeat its purpose or what?
5. “Don’t Be Happy”
This bar of soap comes with quite the opposite message. If it wasn’t for the tiny “worry,” it would pretty much tell you to not be happy. I’m pretty sure that’s how everybody is reading it anyway.
6. “Elect Ronics” 2020
If I didn’t know better I would think they were running for office, ha, ha! And chances are they could actually get elected, too. We all know stranger things have happened already. Oh, we should get them to run!
7. “Let’s Stop The Spread Of Coronavirus”
I’ll tell you what I want to stop. I want this type of closed-spaced lettering to stop right about now. That is beyond irritating. And to think they actually had enough space to write this properly, too.
8. “Don’t Postpone Your Dreams”
If this is the kind of branding this company will teach you, then I suggest you look elsewhere. And they have the gall of calling themselves masters in branding, ha, ha. If only that was the case here.
9. This Logo
This company logo was on an empty storefront in central London. But good luck trying to look up what they’re all about. If you can decipher what it stands for, you’re way smarter than me.
10. “WEM ISS YOU WEL OVE YOU”
If you don’t have enough space to write in your window then maybe you shouldn’t do it at all. This lovely message misses the mark here. And it could’ve been so nice, right?
11. “Fart Studio”
This studio’s logo is supposed to spell “7art studio” but I’m pretty sure we all read something else first. You can say that again, ha, ha! For an art studio, somebody really didn’t do their homework on this design. Am I right?
12. “Stop Smoking — Keep The Faith”
This is about the only thing you can understand on this iPhone case. The rest of it is just some gibberish — especially the part that talks about what happens after you stop smoking. Good luck with that.
13. This Magazine Ad
I can totally understand making one mistake but this magazine ad is literally riddled with spacing issues here. How did this even get past the approval stage? Somebody is definitely going to have to answer for this gaffe.
14. This “Bum” Gel
Somebody seriously pushed this product up the approval ladder before they realized how everyone would be reading it. I don’t think you want to be putting this on your bum any day of the week, ha, ha!
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15. “You Can Sleep When You Redead!”
I gotta admit when I first saw this I thought it said, “You can sleep when you’re a redhead,” ha, ha! I guess it just sounds way better than what it originally said.
16. “Don Ate Your Glasses Here”
Doesn’t this sign make it sound like some angry dude named Don ate your glasses? Ha, ha! I dunno what kind of establishment that is, but I’m not going to risk going there.
17. “Bon a ppe’ tit”
I dunno about you but this restaurant sign —as appealing as the picture makes it look — isn’t all that appetizing after all. Perhaps they shouldn’t use words they don’t know how to spell.
18. This “GMNG THANKS”
This is one Thanksgiving decoration that’s really trying way too hard to convey its thanks. Perhaps a little spacing would have been best here? Otherwise, this heartwarming message is totally being lost here. Are you getting my drift?
19. This “Co llapsible Dish Rack”
It’s always so funny when there are extra spaces when you completely don’t even need it. I mean, what was the problem with just spelling collapsible all in one go? I really don’t get it.
20. This “Cidickis” Coffee Art
I get it, this coffee art was supposed to spell out “Adidas.” But somehow they took some artistic license here. And, in doing so, they completely changed the meaning of this logo. I wonder how Adidas would feel about this?
21. This Beach Warning Sign
If this beach sign is really supposed to warn people against visiting it, they’re not doing the best job. It would probably take people longer to read it than to actually obey it.
22. This Graphic
If you really needed to understand this graphic, I feel bad for you. Somebody definitely didn’t care enough to check their work after they were done typing this out. I hope this wasn’t included in a book or something like that.
23. This Hat
This hat says, “Fighter” but thanks to that weird space in the middle, people think it says “Fig Hter” as in, a person who hates figs. That’s pretty random but now I can’t read it any other way.
24. This Clock
Clearly, this clock was supposed to say, “You Had Me At Hello,” not “You Had Meat Hello.” This is why proper design is so important. Maybe a butcher could hang this up in their shop instead?
Wow, I honestly thought that in this day and age mistakes like these wouldn’t happen anymore.
These examples are good reminders that a little proofreading and design expertise could make a huge difference. Otherwise, you run the risk of creating something that people are just going to laugh at.
