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Tuesday 26 April 2011

Top 10 - Funny Advertising Campaigns

Marketing is the theme for this week's Top 10; more specifically the television commercial - a form of direct advertising used to encapsulate a viewing audience and ultimately, sell a product. But some members of the industry have tapped into the need for bringing joy and humour into the mindset of the advert viewer, grasping at the identity of a product being tied with a recognisable funny quirk or hilarious message. So without further ado, let us count down my top 10 funny advertising campaigns...

10. Cravendale

Milk giants Cravendale, through their igenious stop motion "Milk Matters" campaign, have brought forward a fun and light hearted series of animations to the screen depicting a recognisable bunch of plastic figures. The embedded message is obviously to drink milk through this commercial, but it's playful voice acting and colourful scenarios give Cravendale that added humorous edge.


9. Vauxhall (Meriva and Zafira)

Coined as 'smart family cars', Vauxhall's 2004 campaign for family sized vehicles introduced two school children acting as bantering fathers. I vaguely remember its hit status in the UK at the time, with the child actors gaining all of the plaudits for their role in an intentionally humorous commercial. It made people laugh, whilst  as well as that, probably selling a heap load of cars for the motoring company. Kids, get you every time don't they?


8. Cadbury

'Random' would be a blanket term to describe Cadbury's "A glass and a half full of joy" stint on the box. Recognisable adverts included: the gorilla drumming 'In the Air Tonight' by Phil Collins, the airport drag race twined with Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now' and those scarily weird children who rose their eyebrows to 'Don't Stop the Rock' by Freestyle. All funny I guess, in their own little way... Somehow. I took my pick from the three as the featured video.


7. Pepsi Max

Pepsi's "Max It" campaign for their sugar free alternative drink is probably much funnier with the male demographic (including myself), simply because it represents a masculine idealism. The process of getting away with the unthinkable and living the good life is what all men strive for, so the reprieve of these adverts for males may help the women of the world to see what goes on in the mind of their other half. Oh, and the adverts are hilarious.


6. Weetabix

It has now become clear in my mind that Weetabix are good at creating talking animals. The current 'chocolate Weetabix' commercial doing the rounds makes me happy inside, with a range of domestic pets taking speaking parts in a morning kitchen sequence. But unfortunately that campaign ("Happy Breakfast Everyone") hasn't quite made it on to my list. The advert in question resides somewhere along the lines of "Someone's had their Weetabix." If you don't know it, it involves a talking horse and a man on a mission. Pure joy and laughter ensured - just watch.


5. Zazoo Condoms

When first watching this commercial, it's not quiet clear what the advert is trying to sell or promote. I think that's why it's so funny; because once the viewer knows why this particular commercial is portraying an intolerably annoying child in this light, it's quite literally 'wet your pants' time. If you can, erase this last paragraph from your memory and go into the advert oblivious - it'll make it a whole lot funnier.


4. Thinkbox

"Every home needs a Harvey", the Thinkbox advert which brings together all of the elements of the perfect pet. It's fundamentally funny because it's basically, a dog that can do the ironing! What more can you ask for? Not much, only three places on my list by my reckoning. I think I need a Harvey in my life too...


3. WKD

The question is "Have you got a WKD side?" This campaign is one of many sets of commercials geared towards alcohol which presents the 'typical lad' side of the male drinker - influenced to be unhealthy, lazy and ignorant. Obviously it's all one big joke on the 'WKD side' of a man's personality, but it's pulled off with such fluency - creating undoubted laughter from all sides of the viewing audience.


2. Heineken

The walk-in wardrobe advert. One word... actually two, with one being a swear word (you've been warned). Fucking brilliant. I don't want to describe it, so instead I shall let you watch and decide for yourself. Enjoy!


1. John Smith's

"No Nonsense" is the slogan for John Smith's depicted advertising campaign, and I quite simply cannot think of anything more fitting to describe this particular commercial's effectiveness. Brutal humour reassured by hundreds of viewers howling with laughter at their televisions. But to be fair to Mr. Kay in this video, Claire from work is quite a being. I'm just putting it out there...


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