True Tales

This ‘Crazy Eddie’-Style Ad Campaign Was a Crazy Mistake

The jeweler pulled the ads after only five days.

Published

3 months ago

January 29, 2026

INSTORE Staff Instore February 2026 Issue

This ‘Crazy Eddie’-Style Ad Campaign Was a Crazy Mistake

The ad was a hit — for about five days. IMAGE: GENERATED BY ENVATO AI

In this month’s survey, we asked the Brain Squad: Tell us about a business decision so spectacularly wrongheaded you still cringe years later. Here was our favorite story — to be published in the February 2026 edition of INSTORE magazine.

A JEWELER IN THE NORTHEAST ran TV ads with a special “Nothing is going to cost you an arm and a leg” sale, and we thought, why not try THAT? So, in a “Crazy Eddie” style of hyped-up delivery, I held up and waved a prosthetic arm and leg while touting that nothing storewide would cost an arm and a leg. It was tongue-in-cheek. Funny, tacky, and immediately successful. That’s the good news. The bad news? After five days, we had to pull the TV, radio, and print ads. We had received numerous calls from individuals and organizations saying it was disrespectful to veterans who suffered war-related injuries and people with serious medical issues. — Dennis P., Johnstown, PA

What’s the Brain Squad?

If you’re the owner or top manager of a U.S. jewelry store, you’re invited to join the INSTORE Brain Squad. By taking one five-minute quiz a month, you can get a free t-shirt, be featured prominently in this magazine, and make your voice heard on key issues affecting the jewelry industry. Good deal, right? Sign up here.

INSTORE Staff

Since launching in 2002, INSTORE has won 89 international journalism awards for its publication and website. Contact INSTORE's editors at [email protected].

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