Thats been going on for years Dan, back in the 60's in England there was a lawn mower maker that used to proudly state "Its a lot less bother than a Hover.." A hover mower being the competition... I think its OK because they are saying they are so confident in it they are willing to put their reputation at stake by making such a claim.

I think it's a cheap shot, and not very professional. Tell me why I should buy YOUR product, not why I shouldn't buy theirs. I find it a turn-off as well. The same goes for politics. The mud-slinging and finger-pointing sickens me. Tell me why I should vote for you, instead of trashing everyone else.

I think it is so sad that advertisers have resorted to comparing negatively. I think it is unimaginative and does not promote a good image for the advertiser.

i agree with you. i dont like when they do that either. I can see promoting their product as BEING THE BEST but not to say a spicific brand is BAD

Yes, it seems like a cheap shot (no pun intended). I'm not an expert on marketing, but to me Ethical advertising should promote the benefits or advantages of a given product or service in a way in which the buyer can appreciate it without resorting to that sort of tactics. or at least do it in a classy, funny or entertaining way. A side-by-side comparison between two products and its features is another thing. Interestingly enough, even that is prohibited by law where I live, you can't mention or feature another (competing) brand in your ad.

have you ever thought that CANON might have posted this advertisement so as to except reactions like yours ?

It is dangerously close to political ads, which are overwhelmingly disliked by the public. They don't seem to do much good for the advertiser, since it seems to turn off as many as it turns on. I am with you. I wouldn't buy a product from a company that uses low blows to promote it's products. It says that they use shoddy advertising, so I can expect equal (shoddy) product value and customer service.

i don't like negative ads either political or for a product. They generally loose my business or vote. I like comparative ads where the actually show facts to demonstrate the difference; but these ads are getting sparse. Now they are either negative or just silly and not very informative.

Note: There was more said in that ad than the one line that was posted here, and although I can't remember the entire text I believed it was from a Olympus USER'S perspective, and that's how I'm answering this as I had seen the ENTIRE ad. I'm an Olympus user, and I have to disagree with what's been said here so far because the ad is TRUE! I belong to a camera club and I'm surrounded by Canon and Nikon users (I seem to be the only Olympus user) and I see pictures in competitions with dust spots in their images that get scored lower because of the dust spots and I do say (to myself), "You should have bought an Olympus." (Olympus has a built-in dust reduction system, other companies have since tried to introduce their own, but they don't work as well as Oly's.) To me it's NOT Olympus themselves saying that but an Olympus USER, and the first time I saw the billboard (in Toronto, Canada at Queen & Spadina more than a month ago)I smiled because it was what I'VE THOUGHT AND SAID MYSELF AS AN OLYMPUS USER, and it was the TRUTH! Now would I be offended as a Canon user? If I was a newbie I'd and I was having the issues stated further on in the ad I'd probably look into what Olympus cameras were and see if their claims are true, or ask a relative/friend who will laugh and say Canon's are the best because everyone uses Canon and you should only shoot with Canon. If I was a serious user or a pro I couldn't care less what an Olympus ad said because (in the pro's mind) Canon's are the best and I don't have a dust problem because I clean the sensor every day myself (at $10 a swab). I admit I am biased because I use the equipment advertised and believe 100% in what was said in the ad. Anyone not buying an Olympus just because of that ad is just as much a sheep as the people who blindly buys a brand just because everyone else uses it or is told by a friend/relative who thinks it is the best, without checking the facts YOURSELF. Personally I don't allow ads to sway me either way. While I may look at ads to see the features that are advertised, I then look at the reviews, user comments AND complaints, images, and at the end I download the manuals and went to the store to check the cameras out for myself so I can check out their quality and ease of use within my skill level. Before buying my current camera that Olympus ad would have caused me to wonder what makes Olympus so good compared to Canon, and of course looked into it to find out what the facts were, and made the same purchase...I certainly wouldn't find the ad offensive.

I'm a Mac.