Flea Market Montgomery: "Just Like a Mini Mall"

(Promoted by popular demand -- my own)

10 years ago, this would have been an unqualified disaster -- a truly terrible ad. But the advent of the Internet has changed the rules, and for that reason, Flea Market Montgomery has hit a grand slam with this one.

With the rise of YouTube and other file sharing services, the TV ad can move beyond the TV and into the world of the net. If you strike the right chord, your ad isn't just seen by passive TV viewers, it's emailed at a fast and furious pace by legions of netizens. And striking a chord can be done by a fantastic ad, or an ad so bad that you can't help but pay attention.

Is it a cheesy ad? Oh yeah. But has it been seen by millions of Americans online, and tens of millions on TV? Even parodied by SNL? Hell yes. Had it been a "good" ad in the traditional sense, a few thousand local people might've seen it, and a few dozen might've been spurred to go to the store. But with this approach, the store is now known across America. And you better believe that that has led to a heck of a lot more than a "few dozen" visitors. Any ad creator who does not take into account the web's "echo potential" is playing by outdated rules.

The rules of the game have changed. And when it comes to TV ads, "annoying" can sometimes be "annoyingly good" or even "annoyingly fantastic."

Cadbury: "Gorilla drums"

That is one cool gorilla. It's so engaging, and I'm not even sure why. I wanna hang with that gorilla.

Dutch Language Institute (careful... "language" here)

(promoted to the top again, by popular demand)

You know, I love America. And God knows, I kid the Europeans about things like shower schedules and all, but let me tell ya... when it comes to ads like this, they really have a "coolness" advantage over us Yanks.

Burger King: "Big Buckin' Chicken"

It's just so damned weird, and yet... you can't take your eyes away. Everything from the grainy filming, the real-life cowboy looking people, and best of all, the very earnest, soulful song. This comes from the brilliantly creative people at Crispin Porter + Bogusky.

This is such a refreshing change from the painfully dorky ads that Burger King has historically run. If they keep up with this, they might actually turn Burger King into a brand that's kinda... cool (well, eventually).

Volkswagen: "Like"

I admit it -- the first time I saw this, the ending scared the s*** out of me. And ya know what? It did the next 10 times as well. Talk about an attention getter -- and one 100% on message. Another one from the folks at Crispin, and another Clio winner.

Coke "Teach the World to Sing"

Well heck, it's not often that a commercial is so popular that it becomes a hit song, but... here ya go. Radio DJ's actually got so many requests to play this song that a new (non-commercial) version of it was recorded. But hey, we still like the original. Mmmm.... I'm off to drink a Coke.

Best Birth Control Ad Ever?

Yes, I think it just might be... the best birth control ad ever. And once again, props to the Euros for saying what we're all thinking (albeit, not in English)

Apple: "Think Different"

You know, I don't even like Apple computers (overrated), but... I can't watch this ad without getting chills. There's just something that strikes you right in the heart when you see this parade of innovators -- especially since they did such a good job of mixing such a wide variety of them. Go ahead, watch it. Tell me it doesn't bring a tear to your eye, or at least come damned close. And even though I'm not a raging Apple fan myself, I must say... man, this really does speak to their target audience in an absolutely dead on fashion.

Apple: "1984"

Wow, did this one generate some serious heat when it launched in the early 80's. Now, some might argue that it was a wee bit off-topic for Apple, since it was aimed at IBM (as opposed to Microsoft, which really emerged as its true rival). That being said, the revolutionary spirit of the ad perfectly matched Apple's brand promise, and is a theme that's run through its best ads ever since. (stay tuned for the "Think Different" ads).

The Geico Cavemen Series

They're funny as hell, they're memorable as hell, and they scream the brand name throughout.

They're actually going to make a TV show about these characters, and who could blame them? The cavemen are a hoot -- that combo of looking like a caveman yet acting like a very modern, very Gen-X-irritated manner, well... the combo works.

Best Political Ad Ever?

This is from Paul Wellstone's first campagin for Senate, back in 1990. It's a parody of the Michael Moore film, "Roger and Me," but with the challenger trying to find the incumbent (Senator Rudy Boschwitz) to debate him. It's funny as hell, you can't help but love Wellstone, and not surprisingly, it generated more PR/earned media (aka "free showings") than just about any political ad in history.

Oh yeah, and that year, Paul Wellstone was the only challenger to defeat an incumbent senator.

"Messin' with Sasquatch" - Jack Link's Beef Jerky (Pickup Truck)

This whole series is absolutely incredible, but this one may be my favorite. The double taunt with the gentle "we're sorry" cracks me up every time.