THE 32 FREAKIEST ADS OF 2008
In alphabetical order by advertiser.
Vote for your favorite in our Freakiest Ad of 2008 contest.
ALS Society of Canada | "Head & Shoulders"
This gut-wrenching PSA used a children's song to depict the ravages of ALS. [Read more]
American Asthma Foundation | "Park"
This PSA conveyed the experience of an asthma attack on a shockingly visceral level. [Read more]
Amnesty International | "The Stuff of Life"
Another disturbing PSA: this one from Amnesty, depicting the waterboarding torture technique. [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]
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]
Canex | "Yorkie"
This gross print campaign made you wonder if you're actually feeding your dog—or the worms inside him. [Read more]
Colombian Association of Arterial Hypertension | "Home"
The rotting undead, doomed by high cholesterol, livened up this Colombian health campaign. [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]
Danish Cancer Society | "Bear Trap"
A trip to the tanning booth did not end well for this young woman. [Read more]
Donate Life California | "Maggot"
When you die, said this non-profit, donate your organs to your fellow humans, not to insect larvae. [Read more]
Doritos | "Tongue"
A wayward spicy tongue ruined a young couple's date in this Doritos commercial. [Read more]
Dunkelziffer | "Tentacle"
This ultra-creepy German ad depicted the lingering trauma of sexual abuse. [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]
Easy Living magazine | "Amy"
The troubled singer stripped down for this British magazine's breast-cancer awareness campaign. [Read more]
Evil Dead the Musical | "Marquee"
This promo encouraged viewers to attend the musical, but maybe not linger beneath the marquee. [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]
GotVMail | "Business Ideas by Gary Busey"
The very insane Gary Busey offered manic, nonsensical business tips in this collection of 40 spots. [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]
Kincho | "Android"
The Japanese company turned to a creepy, fake-smiling fembot to promote its sunscreen. [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]
Lotus | "Faceless People"
The automaker Lotus decried the loss of individuality with ads (and street marketing) starring faceless people. [Read more]
McDonald's | "Nose"
This nightmarish Swedish commercial for McDonald's coffee might keep you up at night. [Read more]
Mebucaïne | "Throats"
Misplaced mouths cried for help in this campaign for a Novartis throat lozenge. [Read more]
Old Spice | "Centaur"
The too-often-marginalized man-horse hybrid got a chance to shine in this Old Spice spot. [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]
Steimatzky Bookstore | "Shrunken Head"
This ad for an Israeli bookstore ridiculed non-readers for their shrunken, intellectually impoverished heads. [Read more]
Southwest Airlines | "The Other Side"
This spot characterized the employees at rival airlines as two-faced freak-show monsters. [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]
Treximet | "Heads Off"
Women with migraines literally lose their heads in this OTC pharmaceutical spot. [Read more]
X-travel | "Boeing 737"
This unnerving viral for a Dutch travel agency showed an airplane crash-landing into the Mediterranean. [Read more]
