Bad Ad Targeting Happens

I'm in the ClickZ office in Manhattan

I’m in the ClickZ office in Manhattan. It’s cold. It’s rainy. It’s November 6. I just got served this ad on NYTimes.com. It’s for Andersen’s TruScene Insect Screens. Not only is it not the right time of year for this ad here in the northeast, there’s an Arizona-like landscape displayed beyond the insect screens. Not exactly what I see when I look out the window here or anywhere around here.

nytimes_badtargeting.jpg

The ad is certainly inappropriate geographically and contextually (I was reading a story about newspaper readership numbers). As for behaviorally, I haven’t visited any pages related to such a product or a location, or searched for windows, insect screens, bug repellent or southwest real estate or anything that should prompt such an ad.

It does, however, appear to be employing Tacoda’s behavioral targeting, as indicated in the ad’s landing page URL: http://www.andersenwindows.com/servlet/Satellite/AW/Page/awGeneral-3/
1129482005803?adsrc=Tacoda300&height=250

Could this be an audience segment -targeted buy? If so, it could use a little more refinement.

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