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Contextual advertising is the technology first utilized by Google AdSense to "magically" match up the ads that appear on a computer with the terms that are searched. It's based on complicated algorithms that have changed the game of online advertising and made a lot of people good money. But sometimes the sophisticated matching technology goes awry, putting ads next to articles in ways that are just a little off. When this happens, the savvy denizens of the internet are usually there to capture the hilarity with a screengrab. How do we know this an ongoing issue? Well, there's a full blog devoted to these fails, Bad Contextual Ads. Maybe our robotic overlords aren't so smart after all.

  • Article: Coffee May Kill You -- Matching Ad: Drink Folgers Coffee!
via:// Dizzyboy
  • Article: Couple gets prison time for grilling baby -- Ad: Grill like an expert with Kingsford Briquets!
via:// April Winchell via:// Gawker


  • Video: Awful police brutality -- Ad: Apply to become a police officer!
  • Search: Meth Crime in Vegas -- Ad: Find Las Vegas Meth at Local.com!

via:// groundmeat


  • Article: Surveylance Cameras in School Bathroom Causes Outrage -- Ad: Buy this awesome Sony camera!

via:// Synapses


  • Article: Violence and rioting in Greece -- Ad: Tourists, come to Greece!

via:// Chakravyu via:// FAIL Blog


  • Picture: Dude shoots gun at bears -- Ad: Bear humane society
via:// Cheezburger


  • Video: Iran Twitters Amid Election Chaos -- Ad: Meet Iranian Girls!

via:// ANIMAL New York via:// Bad Contextual Ads


  • Article: Former team Dr. Accuses Armstrong of Doping -- Ad: Lance is Not Tired!

via:// AdRants via:// Bad Contextual Ads


  • Video: Natalie Portman Makes Comedy Video on Funny or Die -- Ad: Need a good gyno?

via:// Bad Contextual Ads