As a tribute to the past, and in light of this past Valentine’s Day, we’re reminiscing on all of the bad courting experiences we’ve had…with advertising formats. Formats that beg for attention in the worst way possible. Formats that make you cringe. Formats that are just downright inconsiderate.
The user experience with bad advertising formats is comparable to the offline experience of bad dates. Here’s a list of b[ad] dates we hope to never revisit:
The Pop-Up Ad
That b[ad] date you met once and rejected, but desperately persists, as though it still has a chance. Emerging at the most unreasonable, abnormal times, this b[ad] date is loud, blaring, and obnoxious.

No matter where you plan on going, you somehow always manage to run into this b[ad] date. Without fail, it’ll get you stuck talking about something that’s entirely trivial (for thirty seconds to one minute way too long), stalling arrival to your intended destination.

The evening is going well, until you mention something that prompts this b[ad] date to suddenly dive into a long, detailed explanation about a topic that’s seemingly irrelevant to what you were originally talking about.

You didn’t even have to start by asking any questions. This b[ad] date started talking and singing your ear off as soon as you arrived.
