A holiday surprise backfired for one Reddit user after they commissioned a secret custom T-shirt built from childhood photos and their partner's joke "rap name."
On cue, they then started seeing nonstop ads for that same shirt company on streaming services.
Here's what to know
With the promotions showing up so often that their partner started noticing them, the poster said on Reddit it was "completely tanking my unhinged gift."
The original poster told the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit they ordered early to make sure sizing and delivery timing worked out. Their holiday exchange follows a set pattern each year with a few practical gifts, a couple of thoughtful ones and one "unhinged" present, with both trying to one-up the other.
They said the plan had been in the works for months, requiring family members to track down old pictures, have them scanned, and get them cleaned up in Photoshop.
One commenter captured the thread's tone.
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"I remember a time when if someone said their TV was spying on them, they were considered delusional," they wrote. "Now it's just a sign that they're better informed than most."
A number of replies described similarly inconvenient ad targeting. One commenter said engagement-ring ads threatened to give away a proposal.
More background
While the Reddit thread doesn't prove a television was literally listening, it shows how unnerving modern ad targeting can feel when a single purchase can suddenly follow someone from device to device.
When retailers, streaming services, and ad networks aggressively link shopping behavior to ad placements, the result can land squarely in daily life, effectively announcing a supposedly private purchase in someone's living room.
The original poster also pushed back on the idea that they had simply left every smart setting enabled. In a reply, they said they "definitely keep that stuff turned off" and use an Alexa only when post-surgery mobility issues make voice controls necessary.
Other replies suggested the same systems can misfire in all sorts of ways. One person said buying a pregnancy pillow for sleep apnea resulted in baby ads despite being "70 years old."
What can be done?
Commenters discussed the limited steps consumers can take.
One suggested reviewing every profile and disabling personalized advertising, and another added that they always choose "no" when apps ask permission to track data for "personalized ads."
However, the original poster's reply showed why many people do not see that advice as a complete fix. Even as consumers are told they have control, the systems driving targeted advertising remain largely opaque.
The thread also pointed to a more practical strategy some people use with smart-home devices of limiting them when possible. Others in the thread sounded ready to avoid newer connected gadgets altogether. One commenter wrote, "I'm still hoping my Samsung from 2014 lasts years longer."
For the OP, the episode ended with a harsh verdict on the state of modern connected tech: "Tbh I wish I hadn't given my old CRT away when I moved. It mightve weighed a ton and shorted out occasionally, but it would NEVER go behind my back like this."
Where can I learn more?
If that story hit a nerve, advertising and marketing can frequently cross the line for consumers.
• At Five Below, a marketing sign left one shopper rethinking impulse-buy displays.
• A frustrating advertising campaign on a public water fountain made one bystander say, "I feel sick."
• On TikTok, misleading greenwashing ploys showed how easily sustainability claims can blur into marketing spin.
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