In the whirlpool of social media, Twitter has carved out a unique space. As a platform, it fosters connectivity, ideas, and even revolutions. But, like all digital landscapes, Twitter is not exempt from the pull of advertising, which, in recent times, has been morphing into increasingly peculiar forms.
The curious case of odd Twitter advertisements
In a journey that feels akin to navigating through a digital reincarnation of the Betterware Catalogue, Twitter’s advertising terrain is dotted with promoted tweets from blue-tick accounts pushing everything from pet products to gadgets, featuring speedy videos and links to cookie-cutter e-commerce platforms.
Names like Zotu, Dulo, and Loza become common sights, peddling goods that run the gamut from fascinating to dubious. The digital bombardment of these ads has often been the cause of irritation for Twitter users.
Some even turned to the platform’s “added context” feature, voicing concerns about the quality and legality of products offered. In a surprising twist, these highlighted ad accounts were recently found to be suspended.
So, what’s the story behind these ads? A deeper probe revealed a trail that leads to an array of similar commerce websites such as Tace, Vore, and Toba. These sites were not only strikingly identical but were also built using the same version of WordPress and relied on the same Woocommerce plugin.
The peculiarities don’t stop there. The e-commerce sites listed headquarter addresses that were more illusion than reality. One example was Sene, whose HQ was the former location of a restaurant in Mayfair.
These dubious addresses are a clear violation of advertising standards, especially in the UK, which mandates accurate information about business locations in ads targeting its consumers.
Despite the elusive nature of these operations, an investigation traced back the operations to a Singapore-registered dropshipping agent named Poxdo. This entity is the common denominator in orders made through various shopfronts and seemingly unrelated websites.
The masterminds behind the mystery
Digging further into the labyrinth, the records show Poxdo PTE Ltd was established in 2020. Lee Ming Chung, a citizen of Singapore, and Nguyen Dac Manh of Ha Noi, Vietnam are listed as its directors. Contacting either director proved futile, with emails going unanswered and LinkedIn messages ignored.
The case is riddled with additional mysteries. For instance, an unused framework of a WordPress-based storefront was found on Poxdo’s website, with template posts credited to “Maximus Brainsby.”
Bringing the narrative full circle to Twitter, the mysterious “Maximus Brainsby” was also found to be mentioned on a Shopify user forum, where it was associated with a tool for dropshippers, aptly named Pexgle.
As we delve into the quagmire of peculiar Twitter ads, the real picture begins to emerge. The digital landscape is fraught with oddities and deceit, a theatre where things are seldom as they seem.
Through clever manipulation of e-commerce platforms and liberal use of dropshipping agents, a network of odd, often irritating ads pervade our Twitter feeds.
The story is not over, and many questions remain unanswered. Who truly sits behind the operations of these ads? What further peculiarities lurk behind the digital curtain of Twitter’s ad universe?
The enigma continues to unravel, reminding us to tread carefully and remain vigilant in the increasingly complicated landscape of digital advertising on Twitter. With each new revelation, the case of Twitter’s peculiar ads becomes a little less opaque, and a little more intriguing.
