Speaking of counter-productive ads, did you see the ad for a certain brand of car during the Christmas period where the husband leads the wife to the garage and there is the new car with a big red bow on it? The wife pauses, then says, "I had no idea they made such big bows."
So she was more excited about the bow than the car, and the guy has a confused look on his face. How this promotes the car, I can't begin to understand.
How about the Jaguar commercial where the woman buys the car for the man? It may be ego, it may be old school, but there is no way a self respecting male would have himself in that situation. Then it really does become a f*guar.