16 Sign Fails

Some of life’s most amusing moments happen by chance. This is certainly true for many of the funniest and most hilarious signs. Whether they result from poor design, the effects of wear and tear, or human error, a funny sign fails can evoke laughter while also leading to inconveniences or even a loss of business for an establishment. It’s difficult to resist taking these silly signs at face value and chuckling at the amusing blunders.

Hilarious Sign Fails

Regardless of what they were intended to convey, we can’t help but appreciate the humor in these amusing sign fails. Unfortunately, the business owner probably didn’t find the erroneous advertisement as entertaining. After all, what else can you do but laugh at the funny sign fails?

1. The Perfect Pandemic Pastime

This sign for a fencing academy doesn’t include any typos or formatting mistakes, but we can’t help but think the business owner might not have delivered their intended message, either. Or maybe it was. Covid-related craziness left plenty of people wanting to stab somebody, after all.

2. That’s One Way of Giving Back …

Some of the funniest signs ended up that way thanks to a clever prankster. In this advertisement for a charitable drive, someone thought they’d be smart and shorten the word “shoes.” It might not be what the clothing drive is looking for, but this funny sign fail is sure more entertaining.

3. That’s One Way to Say ‘Welcome’

A missing letter can drastically change the message of a sign. We don’t believe the owner of this store meant to verbally attack its customers when they displayed this sign on the storefront. Will customers find it humorous, or will they quickly flee in the opposite direction?

4. This Tire’s For You, Macho Man Randy Savage

Lighted signs are notorious for some of the funniest sign fails. All it takes is a blown bulb or two, and the message can change from a company’s name to something far funnier. Such was the case for this Goodyear sign. Is that you, Macho Man Randy Savage? Ooooh yeah! Now, that’s a funny sign fail!

Funny Sign Fails – Restaurants

Restaurant signs are among the most prominent, and the amusing sign fails from restaurants are truly some of the best. Whether due to a design mistake or a burned-out light bulb, we enjoy the blunders that resulted in these funny and entertaining displays, regardless of their intended message.

5. Take a Nice Hot Soak in a Tub of… Gravy?

After a long day on the road, nothing sounds better than taking a hot meal and a relaxing soak in a hot tub. Why not save time and take that bath in some scrumptious gravy like the one described in this funny picture. It’s great for your complexion!

6. Now Serving Chili Dogs in a Can

Here’s a revised version of the paragraph for improved clarity and flow:

Another sign fail occurred due to malfunctioning light bulbs. We doubt that A&W customers are coming in for delicious cans of burgers and fries. At least the product boasts a long shelf life!

7. Would You Like Fries With Those Mice?

We get that McDonald’s loves its Golden Arches logo, but whoever designed this sign needed to take a second look at the message. Since when are rodents on the official menu at this restaurant? And isn’t $10 a little steep for a sack of vermin?

8. When Neon Signs Do You Wrong

Faulty light bulbs strike again in this interesting example of a sign fail. The Dynasty Buffet owner should have stocked up on some extra bulbs to avoid what was only bound to happen eventually. Welcome, it’s the nasty buffet!

Funny Signs – Store

Stores are filled with so many signs, it’s only natural that a few of them will have some errors. Fortunately for all of us, some of these failed store signs result in a laugh and a smile.

9. My OJ Tastes a Little Sour

Here’s a reworded version of the paragraph for improved clarity and flow:

Another instance of a graphic designer not paying attention raises the question: did anyone actually read this sign fail before showcasing this advertisement for lemons? If you’re making orange juice, get ready to pucker up, buttercup!

10. This Sign Only Fails for a Few More Days

Somebody at this store got a little too anxious to display their “yellow” bananas. Fortunately for this business owner, this sign fail will be corrected in a couple of more days. We wonder how many comments the grocer got.

11. Save Nothing for a Limited Time

A likely printing error led to this fun sign fail from Target. Shoppers will be so grateful to know they saved an extra nothing off of those yellow tortillas. Somebody obviously needs to read what they print before they hang it.

12. It’s the Point of No Return at This Liquor Store

In yet another hilarious case of a faulty neon lightbulb, this liquor store’s sign now welcomes its customers with an invitation to die. What exactly are they putting in that booze, anyway?

Funniest Signs in Toilets

Who doesn’t enjoy a bit of toilet humor? It’s an amusing topic because everyone uses the restroom at some point throughout the day. Even more entertaining are the accidental moments of toilet humor that arise from convenient sign fails.

13. Thanks for the Encouragement, But We’re Good

We know the graphic designer who created this sign from Home Depot didn’t intend it to be used for restrooms, but we’re sure glad it was! Was this sign selected at random, or was it employees showcasing their personality?

14. Sounds Like a Personal Issue … Good Thing You’re at a Walgreens

OK, so this sign wasn’t displayed in a toilet, but it sure creates some effective toilet humor. In fact, we have to wonder if the fluorescent lights themselves weren’t displaying a sense of humor in choosing to burn out in such a hilarious sequence. Is there a line for the restroom at Walgreen’s?

15. There Better Not Be Nukes In Your Pockets

Then you have the sign fails that occur because the graphic designer speaks a different language and terms get mistranslated. We have to believe that’s what happened when this sign was created. Surely nobody is concerned about atomic bombs sneaking into the restroom… or are they?

16. When You Just Need Some Privacy

We’ve all felt the urge to gain control over a workplace bathroom. At times, a stall simply doesn’t offer enough privacy. It seems that an employee named Ben discovered a clever way to achieve that much-desired privacy by modifying this sign. Is this a case of sign fails, or is it a sign win?

Check Your Signage!

Sign fails like these and plenty of others might be hilarious to read, but they can become horror stories for small business owners. Be sure and always check your signage – including sign font, graphics, alignment and spacing – before printing it and especially before displaying it, or a sign fail could happen to you.

Image: Depositphotos

This article, "16 Sign Fails" was first published on Small Business Trends