Those agencies that produce the ads still get paid for their work. From these fees, desiners earn a living, as do advertising sales people, and the broadcasters and distributors of these ads. Include, among these the billboard installers, film and video producers, printers, technicians and anyone else involved.

Whether the sales fell short due to a shortcoming in the ad campaign, or it’s execution, or because of a poor product, or, even a product that had little demand, the simple fact that an ad campaign was waged produces work and generates the spending of money. Multiply that times the sheer volume of products that fail in the market each year, and you can see that millions of dollars in revenue are produced and circulated in the economy.

It may be true that many people face financial trouble because a product or service does not sell, but it is the nature of a free market that some people make money, and some don’t. But, if the efforts are not made; if the money is not spent, then product development and improvement does not occur, and the economy, overall, will stall.