19 of the funniest TV commercials of all-time
Every time I see a funny commercial on TV, I feel like I need to make a mental note. It’s as if I knew that someday I would want to write a piece about these ads, and explain to you all why I think they are hilarious. I was going to make this a 10 best, then it became 20, and then I chopped one out because it wasn’t as funny as I had originally thought. And hey, I can always add to it, right? Especially since it’s “19 of the funniest.” Or maybe I will do a 7 best, 11 best or 26 best at some point down the line. But it must have a number, I know that. And now, those 19……
- Bud Light Limo — Bud and Bud Light had some of the best commercials back in the day, but this was by far my favorite. “YES I AM!”
2. GEICO Camel on hump day — I need to find out who GEICO’s ad agency is (as I typed that out I remembered that I can use The Google to find that out), because they are always some of the best. And this one makes me laugh every single time. “Hump DAYYYY YEEAH”
3. Ford Michael Bolton ad — This one is great because the driver tells his buddy how rad the new sound system is because he can tell it what to play. He says, “Play artist Smashing Pumpkins” and so his buddy does what I would do, saying “Play artist Tiffany” in which it’s a close call but no Tiffany in the driver’s system. But then — oh hell, you can just watch it. But pay close attention to the Peter Brady crack in the kid’s voice….
4. John West salmon ad — This one is classic, from our friends across the pond. A crazy dude literally fights a bear for a fish, which he ultimately gets, but not before the bear injures the man. Ha!
5. Polaner All Fruit — First of all, shout out to Polaner….this stuff really is delicious. But the commercial gets me every time, like you can just feel the tension build among all of those rich, privileged Polaner-eating people. That’s because the one dude who sounds like Gomer Pyle or Barney Fife announces, “please pass the jelly!” I always think of this commercial as one of the best ever.
6. E-Trade talking baby — This one aired like crazy when it came out, and I think if the info on this video tag is correct, it first aired during Super Bowl 42 which my Giants shockingly won over the Patriots. And what could be funny about a baby talking about purchasing stock and spitting up milk in the same breath?
7. Betty White Snickers — This is another all-timer, especially in my house. My wife and I like to joke that we are “hangry” or we are “Betty White” based on this commercial where Betty White plays in a pickup football game with a bunch of dudes, but is playing miserably because she hasn’t had anything to eat.
8, 9, 10. Budweiser Real Men of Genius — I was going to pick one of these but then kept watching the whole series of them. I chose three that are just classic — Mr. Really Really Bad Dancer, Mr. Silent Killer Gas Passer, and Mr. Way Too Much Cologne Wearer.
11. Quizno’s pirate rats — I can’t tell if these rats are pirates, mexicans, or funny rats. But the way they sing and how goofy they come across is the whole reason this ad is so funny.
12. Budweiser WASSUP — I think this one might be from the ‘90’s, because the dudes shouting “WASSUP” to each other are on landline phones that kids have to look at now and think it’s the 1800’s. It was funny when it came out because of the WASSUP thing, but now it’s even funnier because of those giant phones.
13. Specsavers sauna — This dude enters a sauna and removes his towel, only to watch the steam dissipate and realize he’s actually in Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant kitchen. The best part is when Ramsey hacks into a big salami with a cleaver and the guy instinctively covers his own package.
14. GEICO alligator arms — I could probably spend an entire article on GEICO commercials, and maybe I will at some point. This one features an alligator dressed up as a guy from the office and he goes to pick up the check but can’t because, well, “alligator arms.” I could watch this one over and over.
15. Budweiser monkey — Frank the monkey puts the moves on the dude’s girlfriend while the dude goes to the fridge for some beers. Another one where the best line is at the end when Frank asks the girl, “How do you feel about back hair?” Ha!
16. Skittles arm wrestlers — In an old town, two grown men arm wrestle to gain control of a Skittles candy. They have huge arms and surprise, so does everyone else in the town, including women, children and dogs.
17. Chevy graduation gift — Part of what makes this one so funny is the kid’s reaction, thinking he is getting Mr. Johnson’s sweet yellow convertible rather than the mini-fridge his parents put a bow on. He laughs and whoops it up with his friends and girlfriend while his parents look on in amazement.
18. DirecTV house exploding — This one is great because it’s a DirecTV ad mocking people who get cable. And it shows how bad things happen and one thing leads to another when you do sign up for cable rather than a satellite dish.
19. Eli and OBJ — This one was bittersweet at the time because it aired toward the end of Super Bowl 52, as this Giants fan was watching our rival Philadelphia Eagles take charge of the game and upset the New England Patriots. Not only did the Giants not make the playoffs, but now our rival was winning its first title and we would no longer be the only team to knock off New England in a Super Bowl game. But seeing Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. perform a Dirty Dancing routine in this ad for the NFL had some people claiming “at least the Giants won the commercials.”