Bad Tool Marketing Photos

[JradM]

How about a thread for all the terrible photos we see of tools being improperly used? You know the type - the ones used in online listings that are often AI-generated, photoshopped or staged, but aren't real and often depict tool-use that is downright unsafe.

Big brands aren't usually guilty of it - but they're not immune. They're more likely to do it in social media posts than actual product listings. I think they're funny - and I thought I would enjoy picking them apart.

Here's one I just stumbled across that gave me the idea for the thread:



That's from Vevor's truck rack product listing. Never mind just tying down your load with a couple of ropes ending with granny-knots - the rope isn't even touching most of the lumbar!

What can you find?

 

[Skyman]

Seems as though nearly every marketing photo I see for tools and equipment features some prettyboy male model who I strongly suspect has never in his entire life even owned or used a screwdriver.

 

[four.cycle]

 

[JradM]

Seems as though nearly every marketing photo I see for tools and equipment features some prettyboy male model who I strongly suspect has never in his entire life even owned or used a screwdriver.

There's rarely any PPE either. Often you'll see improper cutting techniques, weird grips, etc. Just a complete lack of knowledge by the marketing team about how the tool is actually and safely used. I'm not going out looking for examples - but I know I'll stumble across them when online tool shopping.

 

[Kurt4440]

Seems as though nearly every marketing photo I see for tools and equipment features some prettyboy male model who I strongly suspect has never in his entire life even owned or used a screwdriver.

What are you talking about?
I own and use screwdrivers, ratchets, pliers...

 

[Steel_Rain]

Basically, anything from the FLEX power tools website.

As I already pointed out in this tread: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/lowes-deals-sales-clearance.526796/post-11160213



1150 ft-lbs with a deep CV socket and a vice grip eh?

And then we have this GEM:

 

[Kscardsfan]

Basically, anything from the FLEX power tools website.

As I already pointed out in this tread: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/lowes-deals-sales-clearance.526796/post-11160213



1150 ft-lbs with a deep CV socket and a vice grip eh?

And then we have this GEM:

The soldering girl is a personal favorite.

 

[whateg01]

Can't find it now but there was an ad floating around that had an angle grinder throwing a ton of sparks and wasn't plugged in.

 

[Grant Gunderson]

And then we have this GEM:

Automaticity tells you when it’s at temp when you smell burning flesh.

 

[Steel_Rain]

https://www.harborfreight.com/9-in-long-nose-slip-joint-pliers-70612.html

Because THAT is the right way to use this tool!

 

[Skyman]

The soldering girl is a personal favorite.

Soldering without solder or heat. A nifty trick if you can pull it off. Yeah, this one's priceless for its ignorance.

 

[JradM]

I think that may be the high water mark! Nice find.

 

[rlitman]

https://www.harborfreight.com/9-in-long-nose-slip-joint-pliers-70612.html

Because THAT is the right way to use this tool!

Everyone knows it's made for pulling hair from shopping carts.

 

[Basskiller]

 

[The Cobbler]

Don't be silly, that's the soldering iron that uses less that 1 watt of power that is LED powered and designed for the low melt universal solder that does aluminum, cast, stainless, non ferrous, ferrous & most plastics

 

[bwringer]

If you want to see the exact opposite, visit Tekton's website. Clean, crisp photos of every tool, at least one with a human hand, clear diagrams of various features, and in general all the information you could possibly ask for short of holding and using it in person.
For example: https://www.tekton.com/flex-quick-release-ratchet-set-srh92103

Channellock also features some very cool closeup photos of real used and abused tools:

Automotive Specialty Hand Tools from CHANNELLOCK®

See our must-have automotive tools, recommended by automotive specialists and mechanics who use Channellock tools in their shops.

www.channellock.com

We've probably all got Channellock tools that look worse than that, but it's a neat idea.

 

[Beerhippie]

My personal favorites are vintage ads--'though Soldering Girl does take the cake.

Loose ties, radial arm saw--what could possibly go wrong?

 

[PCustoms]

That's from Vevor's truck rack product listing. Never mind just tying down your load with a couple of ropes ending with granny-knots - the rope isn't even touching most of the lumbar!

Why would I want the rope across my lower back?

 

[Ohio Andy]

Why would I want the rope across my lower back?

I call them suspenders and they hold my pants up.

 

[Beerhippie]

I call them suspenders and they hold my pants up.

Right handy when you wake up one morning to realize you no longer have hips!

 

[rdoty]

Or that hips are no longer the wide part of your body...

 

[senlow]

What's wrong with this picture?

 

[engineer2]

 

[tarmy]

My personal favorites are vintage ads--'though Soldering Girl does take the cake.

Loose ties, radial arm saw--what could possibly go wrong?

what..they have tie clips on!

Now, eye pro and those long sleeves…that is a problem…cause no dust will be generated.

 

[IndyGarage]

I can't help it. Who the heck approved that for the front of a brochure?

 

[KFBR392]

Are those bullets in backwards? Am I seeing this correctly?

 

[Muckin_Slusher]

 

[bwringer]

According to the MENSA collective on CrackList, them thangs is called "radio alarm sawz".

 

[Bagherra]

the bullets in the magazine backwards did it for me....

 

[PWC Repair]

How about this newer Harbor freight commercial where some dope has placed a Daytona floor jack right in the rocker!

 

[Rusted Nut]

Don’t have a photo, but a few years ago there were some billboards advertising a dealership service dept. Photo of guy leaning over top of a motor with mig gun in his hand. WTF?

 

[KFBR392]

Don’t have a photo, but a few years ago there were some billboards advertising a dealership service dept. Photo of guy leaning over top of a motor with mig gun in his hand. WTF?

Someone, somewhere, has 100% tried to weld a cracked block in situ because they didn't want to pull the engine. This is accurate advertising!

 

[tarmy]

the bullets in the magazine backwards did it for me....

They actually released that ad too. Think of how many people…obviously not gun people…who staged, looked at, choose THAT pic, revised and decided to print that up and distribute that. What I want to know is how many H&K people were in that chain…

 

[Beerhippie]

the bullets in the magazine backwards did it for me....

Unless it's this pistol: https://www.bondarms.com/bond-arms-handguns/bond-arms-bullpup/

those are backwards.

 

[PCustoms]

Unless it's this pistol: https://www.bondarms.com/bond-arms-handguns/bond-arms-bullpup/

Considering the brand name on the catalog, I'd guess not...

 

[four.cycle]

According to the MENSA collective on CrackList, them thangs is called "radio alarm sawz"

^ right there in the listings for the "wheel barrels".

 

[Grant Gunderson]

I love this thread. I’ve done commercial photography for the last 25 years and few years back was doing a shoot for Eddie Bauer. The art director, nice lady from NYC, asks if we can go shoot in that open patch of forest. Well Mam that’s an avalanche path and todays forecast is high avalanche danger so no. Couple hours latter we hear what sounded like a freight train. She’s asked what was that noise? Well mam that’s the Avy path I refused to shoot in avalanching. Go take a look over there. There is house sized debris. She never said another word for the next two weeks of the shoot and I was finally able to do my job in peace.

 

[Meursault74]

not marketing, and most will say what bike?



Fork is backwards.

 

[Beerhippie]

not marketing, and most will say what bike?



Fork is backwards.

There's a bike in that picture?

 

[Madjik Man]

I posted this in the Tools of Japan thread. Yes, I’m immature.