20 Funny Commercials That Will Get You Laughing

Advertising has never been more important when it comes to modern-day marketing. People have shorter attention spans and are easily distracted and need to be grabbed from the very first seconds of a commercial. This has led to advertising agencies and PR companies focusing on creating compelling content that viewers will relate to or engage with. That’s when humor comes into play. Funny commercials are a great way for companies to advertise their products with memorial ads that resonate.

Whether it’s hilarious Super Bowl commercials starring Hollywood actors, adverts with iconic fictional characters, or funny product endorsements with great comedic value, funny commercials are the best kind of ads. Some are so good they are actually more enjoyable to watch than the actual program being televised.

Funny commercials are one of the main reasons people watch adverts, and over the years there have been dozens of fantastic 30-second TV spots that have entertained and made us laugh. While it’s impossible to list them all, as there really are that many, here’s a selection of our favorites that we are sure will have you chuckling.

1. Apple – “Get a Mac”

While most of the more recent Apple commercials have a focus on using hit songs to promote the brand, this fantastic series of ads from 2006 to 2009 stars actor Justin Long as Mac and author John Hodgman as PC. These simple but effective commercials use the two men to show the pros and cons of each computer, with Mac obviously coming out on top.

The campaign was a smash hit around the world, dubbed into several different languages and even recreated in Britain with Peep Show actors Robert Webb as Mac and David Mitchell as PC.

2. Cadbury – “Drumming Gorilla”

Advertising agency Fallon London was put in charge of creating a new campaign to promote Cadbury Dairymilk Chocolat and came up with this brilliant concept. The 90-second advertisement features a gorilla drumming to Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight.”

It might sound bizarre but the shift from marketing Cadbury to older folks to a younger generation by producing such an interesting commercial paid dividends, with YouGov finding the public perception of the brand improved greatly with the release of the ad.

If you like this one check out the extended cut and this short interview with Collins about the commercial.

3. John West – “Salmon”

Famous canned tuna and salmon brand John West had viewers in stitches with this hilarious advertisement for John West Salmon. As a voiceover talks about grizzly bears catching only “the tastiest, most tender salmon,” a man runs out and attacks one of these bears who has caught a salmon, demonstrating the lengths John West will go to when it comes to getting only the best.

4. Reebok  – “Terry Tate: Offical Linebacker”

This Super Bowl commercial from 2003 spawned a whole series about fictional linebacker Terry Tate (played by real-life NFL player Lester Speight) working in the offices of Reebok. The first commercial shows Tate taking out employees who aren’t living up to their potential and shouting out several catchphrases, including “‘Cause when it’s game time, it’s pain time!”

5. Old Spice – “Muscle Music”

Old Spice first made its mark in the advertising world in 2010 with a campaign fronted by model Isaiah Mustafa. Known as “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like,” it was a smash hit featuring Mustafa spitting rapid-fire monologues in interesting situations. While funny, the series of commercials is no match for “Muscle Music” starring former NFL player turned actor Terry Crews.

In the commercial, Crews is hooked up to various drums. As he flexes his muscles, the drums beat. Crews also yells out various words while flexing his muscles, with the tune he creates turning into a jazz freakout that ends in a climactic fashion.

6. Wendy’s – “Where’s the Beef?”

This commercial might not be seen as funny by today’s standards, but when it came out in 1984 it was a massive success and led to “Where’s the beef?” becoming Wendy’s catchphrase. It’s basically an advert where Wendy’s points out why their burgers are better (it’s all to do with the beef) and features an old lady driving erratically who pulls into the drive-through of a competitor and utters the famous catchphrase due to the beef patty of the burger being so small.

7. Cheetos – “MC Hammer”

Super Bowl commercials are often some of the best as brands understand the reach they have when advertising during arguably America’s biggest annual sporting event. Cheetos had everyone giggling with this commercial from 2020 when promoting their new Cheetos with popcorn.

A man is seen eating Cheetos at work and is about to be asked to work on some reports when his boss notices his hands are covered in Cheetos. Realizing he can get out of mundane tasks due to his unclean hands, the man is seen in various situations eating Cheetos while MC Hammer’s 90s classic “Can’t Touch This” soundtracks the ad. Hammer even pops up during the commercial and does the “Hammer” dance, which will resonate with anyone who grew up during the 90s.

8. Bud Light – “Inside Posty’s Brain”

When it comes to the funniest commercials, Bud Light has been responsible for many great ads over the years. One of the beer brand’s most recent campaigns to promote their new range of seltzers stars rapper turned pop star Post Malone and is absolutely hilarious.

Walking into a bar and ordering a seltzer, Malone is offered a new flavor, mango. The ad then goes inside his brain where the two men in charge of Posty’s actions – who also happen to have similar tattoos to Malone – interact with workers in other parts of his body (such as the tastebuds, stomach, and nose) to get their reactions from the drink. It ends with Posty giving an over-the-top smile before berating his spline for being a pain.

9. Metro Trains Melbourne – “Dumb Ways To Die”

Animation is a great way to get your message across, just ask Metro Trains Melbourne. The Victorian-based Australian government company wanted people to be aware of the dangers when riding a train so they came up with this funny commercial.

The video features Emily Lubitz, the lead vocalist of Tinpan Orange, singing a song about dumb ways to die. Several animated characters known as “beans” are shown dying in the various ways Lubitz sings about, such as selling both their kidneys on the internet and using their private parts as piranha bait.

The three-minute commercial ends with Lubitz warning that the dumbest way to die might actually be crossing train tracks without looking. Although it had a lukewarm reception when it first aired in 2012, it became a hit with viewers, with a mobile game launched, a spin-off commercial commissioned, and the ad going on to win several awards.

10. Rocket Mortgage – “Jason Momoa”

Another Super Bowl ad that is rib-tickling funny, this one from Rocket Mortgage stars Aquaman himself, Jason Momoa. Arriving home from a day on set, Momoa talks about how being in the confines of his abode helps him be his true self, revealing that he’s not actually buff but wearing a muscle suit that makes him look fit. He also removes his hair to showcase a balding head. You’ll never look at Momoa the same after watching this hilarious commercial.

11. Snickers – “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry

This series of commercials from Snickers has been running for over a decade and helped rejuvenate the chocolate bar’s popularity. The premise behind each ad is simple: it shows people turning into famous celebrities when they are hangry, with the only remedy being a Snickers bar.

The most famous version of the ad stars Betty White as Mike, a guy struggling to play well in a game of weekend football who is then offered a Snickers and returns to his normal self. There have been dozens of versions of this advert starring everyone from Danny Trejo and Joe Pesci to Steve Buscemi and Rosanne Barr.

12. Budweiser – “Whassup?”

The “Whassup” commercials by Budweiser became a mega hit and gave us the catchphrase “Whassup?” for better or worse. The ad is really quite simple and features several guys “watching the game, having a Bud,” who begin yelling “Whassup?” to each other down the phone.

The commercial was so popular it won several advertising awards, including the Cannes Grand Prix award and the Grand Clio award, has been parodied in the movie Scary Movie, and even adapted by the wrestling tag team The Dudley Boyz as their own catchphrase.

13. Chevrolet – Happy Grad

A recent graduate is surprised with a gift by his parents in this commercial of mistaken identity. Instead of the fridge his parents got him, the son thinks it is the Chevrolet in the background that is his and proceeds to go mental celebrating.

This great commercial was the winner of Chevrolet’s 2011 Route 66 consumer-generated-ad contest. It was conceived and created by 21-year-old Zach Borst who won a cool $25,000 for his efforts.

14. Skittles – “Piñata”

While Skittles’ “Taste the Rainbow” series of commercials might be the most recognized, the funniest ad the company has ever produced is the “Piñata” TV spot.

An injured man walks into an office and confronts one of his co-workers who attacked him with a bat because he is a human piñata and thought chocolate would be inside him. He offers him the new chocolate Skittles before leaving, reminding his fellow staff members he’s “just like everyone else!”

15. Mountain Dew – “As Good As The Original”

Mountain Dew went all out for the commercial promoting its new zero-sugar version. A parody of the horror classic The Shining, the advert stars Bryan Cranston and Tracee Ellis Ross recreating the famous “Here’s Johnny” scene, although with less murderous intent and more Mountain Dew. It also kickstarted the Mountain Dew catchphrase “As good as the original.”

16. Amazon – Before Alexa

Ellen Degeneres and Portia De Rossi star in this commercial that ponders what people did before Amazon created Alexa. Each scenario takes place in a different time period and finds someone with a name beginning with A asked to act like Alexa, with hilarious results.

Examples include a young boy selling papers who admits the news is fake to Richard Nixon asking his assistant to remind him about deleting a certain set of tapes. A very clever ad from the brain trust at Amazon.

17. Jeep – “Groundhog Day”

Bill Murray reprises his role as weatherman Phil Connors from Groundhog Day for this laugh-out-loud commercial by Jeep. Promoting the company’s new Jeep Rubicon, the commercial shows the joy Connors has waking up every morning knowing he gets to drive the new Jeep. He even takes the groundhog for a drive as he sings along to Bob Dylan’s cover of “I Got You Babe.”

18. Specsavers – “Sauna”

It’s not just Americans who are good at making commercials. This British ad for Specsavers is hilarious and follows a man going for a sauna. Everything seems fine until the steam clears and the guy is actually sitting in a kitchen. Things go next level when the chef is revealed to be Gordan Ramsey, who looks ready to unleash on the poor fella.

19. Heineken – Walk-In Closet

A woman shows her friends the new walk-in closet in her house, causing the group of women to scream in delight. They are interrupted by screams coming from another room, which happens to be her boyfriend showing his mates the walk-in fridge he has that’s chock full of Heineken.

This one plays on gender stereotypes and might be a little controversial these days, but should still give you a couple of laughs.

20. Doritos – “The Cool Ranch”

Ever wanted to see Sam Elliot’s mustache in a dance-off? That’s what you get with this commercial for Doritos Cool Ranch flavor. It features Elliot and rapper Lil Nas X in a dance-off soundtracked by X’s hit “Old Town Road.” It’s ridiculous but hilarious to see Elliot getting his dance on. There’s even a special appearance from Billy Ray Cyrus.