A good advert can stay with a brand forever, and if sense of humour is spot-on, and rises above the tedium and consumerism which sadly inundates our television screens, then it is a joy to behold. Nothing quite captures an audience's imagination like a good belly chuckle and here are just a few of the best adverts, old and new, which linger in the mind.
Old Spice – This highly original advert went viral and with it came a new age of men riding white horses. Model Isaiah Mustafa shot to fame in February 2010 as he spearheaded The Man Your Man Could Smell Like campaign. The ad featured him holding a clam up to the ladies beyond the screen, with “two tickets to that thing you love” inside, and then suddenly the clam transforms into a stream of cascading diamonds. That's just what women need, more diamonds!
John West – Man Vs Bear, who will come on top in a battle of wits and endurance. This advert John West advert shows a worker challenging a wild brown bear for his juicy salmon, freshly caught from the banks of a river. A fight breaks out, which sees the bear do an Ali-shuffle,
followed by a strong right hook. But the John West operative is smarter than that, and distracts the bear pointing to the sky momentarily, the bear looks up and gets a strong kick to the groin for his troubles. Priceless.
Heineken – In this “Serving The Planet” advert, a group of stylish Dutch women are taken on a tour of the house by their host during a party. The home is beautiful, and full of young pretty things, but then comes the pièce de résistance, a huge wardrobe full of clothes and shoes. At this point, the women go berserk. Meanwhile, there is a commotion in another room in the house, as the men have been taken on a similar tour by the man of the house, but their place of worship is a fridge stocked full of beers. The pandemonium that ensues is hilarious as the men turn into excited little boys in a cold room of alcoholic delights.