Canadian Lay's spot is freakiest of February
After a weeklong vote, this ad for Lay's potato chips by Canadian agency Juniper Park, starring the office drone who becomes an inflatable balloon, has been deemed the freakiest ad of February by AdFreak readers. See all 10 contenders here. The Lay's spot won with 27 percent of the vote. The runners-up were the U.K. Department for Transport's "Kill Your Speed" ad with the man who's haunted by the corpse of a boy he killed while driving (18 percent); the Israel AIDS Task Force's "Doubt" spot with the little slithery man who personifies fear (13 percent); the gross Boost Mobile "Coroner" and "Bicycle" ads (12 percent); and the H&R Block "Cyclops" spot (also 12 percent). They will all get a spot in our year-end Freakiest Ad of 2009 contest. —Posted by Tim Nudd |
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Published on March 9, 2009 | Permalink
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VOTE: THE FREAKIEST AD OF FEBRUARYWith March upon us, it's time to look back at February's work and pick the freakiest commercial of the month. Below are the 10 contestants, including a whopping three entries from the disturbed U.K. government. Vote for your favorite at the bottom of the list. (Also check out the Freakiest Ads of January 2009 and the Freakiest Ads of 2008.) Above the Influence | "Problem" (unapproved spot)
This commercial, created for the Partnership for a Drug-Free America but not approved or aired by that group in the end, showed a teen whose drug problem clings to him like a hairy ape. [Read more] Boost Mobile | "Coroner," "Bicycle"
These two spots illustrated the wrongness of getting screwed over by your cell-phone company by showing stuff that seemed even more wrong: a burrito-eating coroner and cycling lass with flowing armpit locks. [Read more]
H&R Block | "Cyclops"
One-eyed beasts bemoaned the myopia of run-of-the-mill tax advisers in this H&R block ad. [Read more] Israel AIDS Task Force | "Doubt"
Fear of AIDS was personified by a gross little slinking, slithering man in this unsettling spot. [Read more] Kia | "Hamsters"
New Jersey became infested by giant rodents in this Kia commercial. [Read more] Lay's | "Happy"
An office drone found happiness by giving in and becoming a mindless inflatable doll. [Read more] Mountain Dew Voltage | "Zapper"
Drinking Mountain Dew Voltage will cause gigantic insects to explode all over you. [Read more] U.K. Department for Transport | "Kill Your Speed"
A driver who killed a child was haunted by the boy's corpse in this hard-hitting ad. [Read more] U.K. Department of Health | "ACT F.A.S.T."
These unnerving spots showed exactly what to look for in a person who is having a stroke. [Read more]
U.K. Home Office | "The Brain Crasher Party"
A pot smoker's brain got increasingly addled as this commercial progressed. [Read more]
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Published on March 2, 2009 | Permalink
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Lustgarten spot is voted January's freakiest
Voting has ended, and this Lustgarten Foundation ad, called "Dan's Pancreatic Cancer," has been chosen as the freakiest commercial posted on AdFreak in January. The spot, which slowly and painfully slayed nine other challengers, earned a whopping 47 percent of the vote. See all of the freaky spots here. The three runners-up—Ray-Ban's "Cow gives birth to a dude" (12 percent), Australia's "It's a Beautiful Day for Cancer" PSA (11 percent), and Lactacyd's vagina-cam "Protect Yourself" spot (9 percent)—will all get a place in our year-end Freakiest Ad of 2009 contest. |
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Published on February 13, 2009 | Permalink
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VOTE: THE FREAKIEST ADS OF JANUARYOur Freakiest Ads of the Year feature was so damn enjoyable that we're starting a monthly version. Each month, we'll present our picks for the freakiest ads of the previous month, and put them to a vote. Here are our 10 contenders for January. Vote for your favorite at the bottom of the list. ALS Association, Florida chapter | "Stealing Pieces" This PSA cast ALS sufferers as mannequins who are taken apart piece by piece and boxed away in crates, never to be heard from again. [Read more] Australia skin-cancer awareness | This music-video PSA featured a giant, disgusting, red, swollen, rapping cancerous lesion. Yum. [Read more] Australian Writers and Art Directors Association | This weird self-promotion video for an ad trade group promised lots of underground gay sex to the winners of advertising awards. [Read more] Coca-Cola | "Library" Open happiness, or just open a vein. [Read more] Durex | "Balloon Animals" This condom ad presented lots of squeaky balloon-animal sex. [Read more] Lactacyd | "Protect Yourself" What, you didn't want to see an ad for vaginal cream shot from the POV of the vagina itself? Sure you did. [Read more] Lustgarten Foundation | "Dan's Pancreatic Cancer" Pancreatic cancer lurked in the back seat of this grim murder-themed PSA. [Read more] Microsoft | "Songsmith" Possibly the worst infomercial ever made. Also possibly the best infomercial ever made. [Read more] Ray-Ban | "Cow gives birth to a dude" Believable, no. Disgusting? Yeah. [Read more] U.K. Department for Transport | "Tales of the Road"
Animation is always better when it stars injured children. [Read more] |
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Published on February 10, 2009 | Permalink
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THE FREAKIEST AD OF 2008: Saatchi's comic, gory spot for 'Evil Dead the Musical'
In the end, it wasn't even close. This gory/comic spot for Evil Dead the Musical, by Saatchi & Saatchi in Toronto, has bloodily sauntered off with the title of AdFreak's Freakiest Ad of 2008, after collecting 49 percent of the vote in the four-way final. Converse's KissingWithRoss.com came in second, with 22 percent. The Dutch Socialist Party and Doritos rounded out the top four, with 18 percent and 11 percent, respectively. The Evil Dead spot is a worthy successor to the Dexter viral that won our contest last year. So, congrats to Saatchi. To see all of this year's 32 freaky finalists, click here. |
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Published on December 24, 2008 | Permalink
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THE FREAKIEST ADS OF 2008, FINAL 4Thirty-two ads, one dream: to be named AdFreak's Freakiest Ad of 2008. After four votes last week, we've narrowed the field to the Final Four contenders, posted below: Evil Dead the Musical, Doritos, Converse and the Dutch Socialist Party. Vote at the bottom of this post for the freakiest of the four. We'll declare a winner on Wednesday afternoon. —Posted by Tim Nudd Evil Dead the Musical | "Marquee" This promo encouraged viewers to attend the musical, but maybe not linger beneath the marquee. [Read more] Doritos | "Tongue" A wayward spicy tongue ruined a young couple's date in this Doritos commercial. [Read more] Converse | KissingWithRoss.com Ross taught many a lonely Web surfer how to kiss, with gusto, on his very own Converse-branded Web site. [Read more] Dutch Socialist Party | "Connie" (NSFW) What's that? You want to see a nude 86-year-old woman criticizing Holland's homecare policy? OK, you got it. (Spot is NSFW.) [Read more] |
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Published on December 22, 2008 | Permalink
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THE FREAKIEST ADS OF 2008, GROUP #4Our Freakiest Ad of 2008 contest continues today with the last spot in the Final Four up for grabs. Check out the eight ads below, and vote for the freakiest one at the bottom of the post. The top vote-getter joins the Evil Dead headless dude, the Doritos spicy tongue and Ross the lippy Converse kisser in the Final Four. See all 32 finalists here, in alphabetical order. —Posted by Tim Nudd Canex | "Yorkie" This gross print campaign made you wonder if you're actually feeding your dog—or the worms inside him. [Read more] Old Spice | "Centaur" The too-often-marginalized man-horse hybrid got a chance to shine in this Old Spice spot. [Read more] Dutch Socialist Party | "Connie" What's that? You want to see a nude 86-year-old woman criticizing Holland's homecare policy? OK, you got it. [Read more] Danish Cancer Society | "Bear Trap" A trip to the tanning booth did not end well for this young woman. [Read more] Barbecues Galore | "Chicken" What can you say to your chicken dinner when he asks you to hook him up with a girl just as you're marinating him? [Read more] Burger King | "Morning Tongue" After dreaming of hash browns filled with cheese, the hero of this BK spot woke up with a nasty case of "morning tongue." [Read more] Jack in the Box | "Make a Jack Sandwich" This Web site urged you to upload photos of yourself and a special friend, so all three of you could sleaze out in the hot tub. [Read more] Jokk | "The Trap" Hunting for berries to make Sweden's Jokk juices is extremely dangerous, but worth it. [Read more] |
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Published on December 19, 2008 | Permalink
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THE FREAKIEST ADS OF 2008, GROUP #3Two of the Final Four slots are set in our Freakiest Ad of 2008 contest: the Evil Head headless dude and the Doritos spicy tongue. The competition continues now with this third group of ads. Vote for the freakiest of the eight ads at the bottom of the post. The top vote-getter gets a Final Four place. See all 32 finalists here, in alphabetical order. Donate Life California | "Maggot" When you die, this non-profit suggested, donate your organs to your fellow humans, not to insect larvae. [Read more] ALS Society of Canada | "Head & Shoulders" This gut-wrenching PSA used a children's song to depict the ravages of ALS. [Read more] Extended Stay Motels | "Lick" A woman figured that licking everything in sight was the best way to check a room's cleanliness in this spot for the motel chain. [Read more] Kincho | "Android" The Japanese company turned to a creepy, fake-smiling fembot to promote its sunscreen. [Read more] Converse | KissingWithRoss.com Ross taught many a lonely Web surfer how to kiss, with gusto, on his very own Converse-branded Web site. [Read more] Amnesty International | "The Stuff of Life" Another disturbing PSA: this one from Amnesty, depicting the waterboarding torture technique. [Read more] Colombian Association of Arterial Hypertension | "Home" The rotting undead, doomed by high cholesterol, livened up this Colombian health campaign. [Read more] X-travel | "Boeing 737" This unnerving viral for a Dutch travel agency showed an airplane crash-landing into the Mediterranean. [Read more] |
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Published on December 18, 2008 | Permalink
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THE FREAKIEST ADS OF 2008, GROUP #2Our Freakiest Ad of 2008 contest continues with this second group of ads. Vote for the freakiest of these eight masterpieces at the bottom of this post. The top vote-getter goes to the Final Four. Treximet | "Heads Off" Women with migraines literally lost their heads in this OTC pharmaceutical spot. [Read more] McDonald's | "Nose" This nightmarish Swedish commercial for McDonald's coffee might keep you up at night. [Read more] Steimatzky Bookstore | "Shrunken Head" This ad for an Israeli bookstore ridiculed non-readers for their shrunken, intellectually impoverished heads. [Read more] Lotus | "Faceless People" The automaker Lotus decried the loss of individuality with ads (and street marketing) starring faceless people. [Read more] Skittles | "Piñata" A human piñata recovered from a beating at the hands of a Skittles-seeking colleague in this off-kilter spot. [Read more] Mebucaïne | "Throats" Misplaced mouths cried for help in this campaign for a Novartis throat lozenge. [Read more] Doritos | "Tongue" A wayward spicy tongue ruined a young couple's date in this Doritos commercial. [Read more] Land Transport NZ | "Bed" New Zealand tackled the issue of drivers falling asleep at the wheel with all the subtlety of a splattered skull. [Read more] |
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Published on December 17, 2008 | Permalink
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THE FREAKIEST ADS OF 2008, GROUP #1We've posted our 2008 Year in Review. Now, it's time for our other annual tradition: voting to select the single Freakiest Ad of 2008. Evil Dead the Musical | "Marquee" This promo encouraged viewers to attend the musical, but maybe not linger beneath the marquee. [Read more] Dunkelziffer | "Tentacle" This ultra-creepy German ad depicted the lingering trauma of sexual abuse. [Read more] American Asthma Foundation | "Park" This PSA conveyed the experience of an asthma attack on a shockingly visceral level. [Read more] Southwest Airlines | "The Other Side" This spot characterized the employees at rival airlines as two-faced freak-show monsters. [Read more] GotVMail | "Business Ideas by Gary Busey" The very insane Gary Busey offered manic, nonsensical business tips in this collection of 40 spots. [Read more] Aware Helpline | "Just as Horrific" These anatomically jarring PSAs from Singapore made the case that verbal abuse can be just as horrific as physical abuse. [Read more] Easy Living magazine | "Amy" The troubled singer stripped down for this British magazine's breast-cancer awareness campaign. [Read more] TM Advertising | "Jitsu's Secret" The Texas shop's intra-agency YouTube challenge featured a shocking admission from Masters of the Universe character Jitsu. [Read more] |
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Published on December 16, 2008 | Permalink
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