The Ad Trap: Products That Didn't Match the Marketing Hype

10. Grey with a 50 Shades

Cost: Not specified Created by: Nobody Acquired via: eBay This product is humorously misleading, yet it isn't technically wrong. One client tried to purchase a copy of the best-selling novel 50 Shades of Grey on eBay, but what they got was a real printout of a grid with fifty grey squares instead of the fictional tale of vampire love. Each in a distinct shade of grey, you guessed it.

Twitter.com / Terrific Treasures / Pinterest / DesignersHumor / 50 Shades of Grey The copy was even named "50 Shades of Grey," which was helpful. It is evident from the product's removal from the market that the reviews weren't very good. Story's lesson: perhaps check out the library the next time. Apart from jokers on eBay, it's undeniable that 50 Shades of Grey led book sales in the United States for many years. With a $40 million budget, the film series made $571 million, while the first novel sold an incredible 15.2 million copies. The first year of book sales alone brought in an astounding $11.5 million for author E.L. James directly.