Sometimes a commercial comes along that’s so bizarre, so out-of-touch, or so hilariously bad that it burns itself into your brain forever. They’re the ones we love to hate, and sometimes hate to love. Here’s my personal top 5 list of the most ridiculous commercials to ever grace our screens:
5. Quiznos’ Spongmonkey Ads
Let’s be honest, no list of bizarre commercials is complete without Quiznos’ Spongmonkeys. These unsettling, vaguely rodent-like creatures belting out strange songs about Quiznos subs haunted the early 2000s. Equal parts creepy and catchy, their legacy of bewilderment lives on.
4. “Puppymonkeybaby” – Mountain Dew Kickstart
Mountain Dew’s 2016 Super Bowl ad introduced the world to the horrifying yet oddly mesmerizing “Puppymonkeybaby”. This genetic experiment gone wrong, a horrifyingly cute combination of three things people usually adore, managed to be both disturbing and oddly tempting (to drink the Kickstart, that is).
3. The “Head On” Commercials
Who could forget the infomercial for Head On, the headache remedy with the aggressively repetitive slogan, “Apply directly to the forehead!”. The deadpan delivery, awkward pauses, and sheer audacity of it all seared this commercial into pop culture history.
2. Beggin’ Strips Dog Treats
These ads from the ’80s and ’90s feature dogs going absolutely bonkers at the mere mention of Beggin’ Strips. The frantic breakdancing pups and ridiculously catchy jingle turned these commercials into iconic examples of how to make your pet food unforgettable, even if the methods were a little off-kilter.
1. Mr. Whipple – Charmin
The long-running series of Charmin commercials featuring the fussy Mr. Whipple admonishing customers with “Please don’t squeeze the Charmin!” is less weird and more a classic case of strange product obsession. It’s good that we have the Charmin Bears today instead.
Yet, there’s something so absurd about a man’s passionate dedication to toilet paper softness that it became a cultural phenomenon.
