History Main / AbusiveAdvertising

* There's the classic "[[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c1/Natlamp73.jpg If You Don't Buy This Magazine, We'll Kill This Dog.]]" cover run by ''Film/NationalLampoon'', which showed an appealing dog with a large hand-gun pointing at it. [[note]]Tragically, the featured dog, Cheeseface, actually WAS shot and killed a few years later.[[/note]]

* The ''National Lampoon'' cover is ''[[InvertedTrope inverted]]'' the cover of ''[[Comicbook/JusticeLeagueInternational Justice League Europe]]'' #22, which shows Max Lord pointing a gun at Power Girl's ill-tempered cat, and a caption saying "Buy this comic ... or we ''won't'' shoot this cat!"

* The ''National Lampoon'' cover is ''[[InvertedTrope inverted]]'' the cover of ''Comicbook/JusticeLeagueEurope'' #22, which shows Max Lord pointing a gun at Power Girl's ill-tempered cat, and a caption saying "Buy this comic ... or we ''won't'' shoot this cat!"

* Advertising/SegataSanshiro, a mascot for the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn game console in Japan. He would appear out of nowhere before some fools who weren't playing videogames... beat the hell out of them with martial arts... shout his catchphrase "You must play Sega Saturn!", leave a Saturn console by their unconscious bodies, and walk away. Later commercials turned him into a more heroic figure who did things like coach a soccer team and make sushi, though still with a penchant for solving problems with judo throws. In fact, only two of his commercials have him act in tune of the trope, but his BraggingThemeTune implies that he's still doing it off-screen.

* The UsefulNotes/GameCom console had [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2_5325d_Hw a commercial]] in which an abrasive man hypes up the system while insulting the audience, bragging that it "plays more games than you idiots have brain cells". The unpleasantness of the commercial was not the worst issue facing the Game.Com, but it certainly didn't do it any favors.

''(a hand holding a gun reaches into the frame and shoots Wontkins dead)''\\

-->-- Advertising/WilkinsCoffee commercial

* TV pranksters ''Series/TheGoodies'' divided the show with parodies of British TV advertising; a classic was their send-up of processed fish manufacturers Bird's Eye, who at the time were advertising via a child-friendly clown character, an avuncular sailor called Captain Birdseye used to harness pester power. The spoof advert followed the same lines of a genial fatherly ship's captain with a crew of clearly happy children who loved being on board ship. But the sinister last lines were:

Oftentimes, this type of advertising is done tongue-in-cheek, as obviously companies can't legally attack people to make them buy their product. So to show it's all just a joke, such ads are usually [[RefugeInAudacity deliberately over the top so that they won't be taken seriously]]. The ''real'' aim is for the commercials to stick in the customers' minds, even if it depicts them getting beaten to a pulp.

* Advertising/SegataSanshiro, a martial-artist mascot for the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn in Japan. He could be anywhere, whether on a street, in a dance club, or even disguised as Santa Claus... and if you weren't playing the Sega Saturn, you would feel the pain of his judo throws. Thankfully he wasn't all mean; he gave some kids a free Saturn for Christmas, coached a soccer team, is sweet to [[VideoGame/SakuraWars his girlfriend]], and in his last commercial [[spoiler:made a HeroicSacrifice for Sega by catching a missile and flying it into space.]] In fact, only two of his commercials have him act in tune of the trope, but his BraggingThemeTune implies that he's still doing it off-screen.
** This was strangely [[InvertedTrope inverted]] in the American commercials for the Saturn, which implied that playing the console would cause sensory overload, nervous breakdowns, and [[BringMyBrownPants involuntary bowel movements]]. [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools Guess which country it was more successful in]]?

* The UsefulNotes/GameCom had [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2_5325d_Hw a commercial]] in which an abrasive man hypes up the system while insulting the audience, bragging that it "plays more games than you idiots have brain cells". The unpleasantness of the commercial was not the worst issue facing the Game.Com, but it certainly didn't do it any favors.

* Back in 2006, Chica’s website had been shut down so when you visit it it says his website has moved, it shows a picture of an anime girl with a reptilian like nose, and then it says but where to? And shows a GIF of a 16 bit anime catgirl searching left and right. And after the link, it says that whoever linked his website in the past needs to update the link or he gets eaten. It shows an alligator close to him.
* The parody saga ''WebVideo/DowntonWars'' was made as part of a fundraiser for the Chilterns MS Centre, so viewers are asked to donate. At the end of ''The Evil Butler Strikes Back'', the Dowager threatens the audience if they don't donate with a booming ''"I wouldn't do that if I were you!"''

* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': In "Road to Rupert", Brian looks at a gorilla doll and says that if you buy one, they save a real gorilla in the wild...and if you don't, they'll kill one ("Boy, these guys are really playing hardball").

[[caption-width-right:320:She sure did keep her promise...]]

''(a hand holding a gun reaches into the frame and shoots Wontkins dead at point-blank range)''\\

Most commercials try to sell their product by making it look appealing, desirable, and a must-have even if customers didn't think before that they needed it. Commercials like such try to be friendly and informative, appearing to have your best interests at heart.

Then there's these. With Abusive Advertising, there's no question whether you'll buy this product. '''You will''', and if you don't, there will be dire consequences before you end up buying it anyway. Whether a mascot coming to beat you up or divine misfortune to wreck one's day, the customer is promised a nasty end if they don't haul their butt to a store ''right now''.

Oftentimes though, this type of advertising is done tongue-in-cheek, as obviously companies can't legally attack people to make them buy their product. So to show it's all just a joke, such ads are usually [[RefugeInAudacity deliberately over the top so that they won't be taken seriously]]. The ''real'' aim is for the commercials to stick in the customers' minds, even if it depicts them getting beaten to a pulp alive.

* ''Mizz'', a UK magazine aimed at teenage girls, once ran a Halloween issue that began with an an ad where a witch threatens a girl that, if she doesn't buy the magazine, the witch will take ''Mizz'' away and the girl will "Have to read something crappy instead"

* Advertising/SegataSanshiro, a Japanese martial arts mascot for the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn. Many of his commercials depicted him breaking into random houses and beating up anybody who wasn't playing a Saturn. He could be anywhere, whether out of an alley, or at a dance club, or even disguised as SantaClaus. Thankfully he wasn't all mean; he gave some terrified kids a free Saturn for Christmas, coached a soccer team, is sweet to [[VideoGame/SakuraWars his girlfriend]], and in his last commercial [[spoiler:made a HeroicSacrifice for Sega by catching a missile and flying it into space.]] In fact, only two of his commercials have him act in tune of the trope, but they still kinda stand out, considering his own BraggingThemeTune imply that he's still doing that off screen.

* The UsefulNotes/GameCom had [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2_5325d_Hw a commercial]] in which an abrasive man hypes up the system while insulting the audience, bragging that it "plays more games than you idiots have brain cells". The utter unpleasantness of the commercial was not the worst issue facing the Game.Com, but it certainly didn't do it any favors.

-->"You've heard the 'other' tire company imply that your child's safety depends on its product... That's nothing. If you don't buy ''our'' tires, your whole stinkin' extended family will croak!!! [[AndYourLittleDogToo And don't get too attached to the family dog either.]] [[EvilLaughter HA HA HA HA HA!]]

* ''Film/Robocop2'': As if we didn't needed more evidence of how much [[MegaCorp OCP]] is scum, we get an ad for their communications division that has an executive (apparently an architect) cry about how he cost his firm a lucrative contract [[BrandX because he chose a cheaper alternative that crapped up their data transmissions]] and then [[DrivenToSuicide blow his brains out with a pistol]].

Compare AppealToForce, DisproportionateRetribution, PublicServiceAnnouncement and TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou. InvertedTrope of OurProductSucks. Often a form of SpaceWhaleAesop.

** In the same episode ("It Might as Well Be String", parodying the advertising industry), Bill and Graham explain that housewives have finally gotten wise to the BlatantLies of advertising, so they have to resort to blatant threats instead. In another advert, a housewife refuses to use the advertised cleaning agent, so Bill and a couple of thugs [[SlapstickKnowsNoGender rough her up until she relents]].