Quirky ads from abroad

Quirky ads from abroad


Well, what do you have here? I found another bunch of funny foreign adverts. Some of them are quite popular and probably have been seen worldwide. At the very least, one or more must have won a few awards in its time. From quirky looks at the transport system to cosplay for home improvement, here is the list.

This British advert was harmless enough. Sure, it was quite suggestive and some of the more conservative folks are probably changing channels ... or shooing the kids out of the room. Speaking of which, apparently the most recent sausage ad by Mathesons has been getting a lot of heat from annoyed/embarrassed viewers. It can't be worse than this one; in fact, this one is quite mellow once you get to the punchline.

Flying has never been this fun. This particular ad is from South Africa and is promoting a type of credit card for Kulula, one of the most popular budget airlines in the country. This airline is well-known for its creative ads and even their airline safety announcements on-board the plane is said to be hilarious. Kind of like listening to stand-up comedy right before take-off. By the way, that guy doing the 'trying on jeans' move? He really did steal the show; his street-cred definitely went up amongst his peers in the boardroom.

First of all, here's a heads-up. There are no subtitles for this ad from Hong Kong so you will have to guess what's going on. Thankfully, one of the commentators on Youtube has translated the ad (check it out). As you probably guessed, the couple has changed their entire house to look like a hotel. And yes, this is an ad for Ikea. What I loved about the ad was the expression on the attendant's face. She must be thinking, 'Of all the weird people to work for, why did I get the cosplay/role-playing coupe'. I don't even want to know what goes on when they are alone. Speaking of disturbing concepts ... is anyone else uncomfortable with the idea of a helper/maid/attendant? It just seems so old school and colonial.

Here's another funny one from South Africa. This time the main focus is the Indian culture and it shows parents setting up an arranged marriage. It was quite strange to see them bring it up casually and then pounce on you with the idea of choosing what you want. I am not sure if they were making a subtle comment there. I know it's probably just used cleverly to highlight the benefits of cable TV but can't help thinking that there was an indirect social commentary going on.  

Alright, so is this what happened to The Island? You know, from Lost? Perhaps this is why there are so many weird and crazy things going on there. This particular ad is from Japan and shows the power of Fanta. You have to love the way this ad is portrayed – check out the way the laughter dies down between the couple and how the guy puts on a 'Did anyone catch me doing that' look.