What’s the most effective way to alienate members of your target demographic with your ads? Try treating them like gormless morons:

Well, gee — I am male and 37. How on earth did they work that out? And how lucky that my age and gender entitles me to a FREE Blackberry Storm2 if I apply today!

I’m well aware that certain information associated with my Facebook account is made available to advertisers, allowing them to target their adverts effectively. That’s how Facebook makes money.

However, by using the data this clumsily, the advertiser is essentially saying: “click this, and confirm to us that your mental faculties are comparable to those of a lobotomised chimp”.

It’d be interesting to know just how many such ad impressions do result in a click through. Presumably, enough to make this cynical strategy worthwhile…