Top 30 Commercials and Advertising Videos in 2008 H1

With everything from punching employees to moonvertising, this list features top 30 commercials and videos in 2008, based on our traffic so far. 

Compared to the rest of our features during this Top 30 week, this is probably my FAVORITE category.

This is one of many features in our new FREE Micro Trend Reports section.

Note that in some cases these videos are not ads, bur rather ‘overviews’ of viral and exciting campaigns.

Top 30 commercials and videos

1. Extreme Advertising - Coke Zero’s Tongue-Piercing in Brazil (VIDEO)

Coke Zero has launched in Brazil an extreme guerrilla marketing campaign using people’s tongues.

Several shops in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Porto Alegre and Salvador give free piercings with the brand… [More]

2. Sexy Ads Upset the Pope - Racy Equinox Fitness Ad (VIDEO)

Sex has been used to sell for decades, but in recent years, some companies have really cranked up the raciness in their ads, raising a lot of controversy. That’s the whole point of ads though; if it gets… [More]

3. Ronaldo Races Bugatti - Nike Mercurial Vapor IV Viral (VIDEO)

This video, which appears to be made by amateurs, features Cristiano Ronaldo racing a Bugatti. It needs to be mentioned right off the bat that the Portuguese soccer stud is wearing blaze orange Nike Mercurial… [More]

4. First Person Advertising - Guy Richie’s Nike Ad Takes It To The Next Level (VIDEO)

Famous director Guy Ritchie brings his unique style to the latest film advertisement for Nike, starring Wenger, Fabregas, Gallas, Ronaldo and Rooney.

The minute long film entitled, Take It To The Next… [More]

5. Fake Premiers - LG Scarlet (VIDEO)

LG hosted an elaborate party, complete with red carpet, Wolfgang Puck catering and celebrity attendees for the launch of Scarlett, a brand new TV series. They spent millions on promotions for what appeared… [More]

6. Punching Employees - Slow Motion Abuse as a PR Stunt (VIDEO)

A production company named Action Figure filmed its employees being punched in the face in slow motion to the rhythm of Robyn’s Be Mine song.

“The disturbing thing is that no one questioned it when… [More]

7. Mixing Cinema & Advertising - Intimissimi Lingerie Featuring Monica Bellucci (VIDEO)

Last November, sex symbol Monica Bellucci acted in HeartTango, a short movie produced by Intimissimi, an Italian lingerie brand.

The movie develops around a pas de deux on a sensual tango, featuring… [More]

8. Sneaker of the Gods - Nike Air Jordan XX3 (VIDEO)

Continuing its wildly successful Air Jordan franchise with the new $230 Air Jordan XX3, Nike dust’s MJ off for another over the top ad campaign. The Air Jordan has been credited for sparking the “big… [More]

9. Moonvertising - Rolling Rock Beer In Space (VIDEO)

Rolling Rock, the beer company famous for that mysterious number ‘33’, is trying yet another oddball marketing approach - moonvertising. A clever gag or a scientific marvel? We’ll all find out on March… [More]

10. Become an M&M;- Planet M&M;’s Character Creator (VIDEO)

If you (for whatever reason) have ever wanted to be an M&M;, here is your chance. The Character Creator on lets you Become an M&M;.

At the virtual factory, you can create an M&M;candy that looks like… [More]

11. Powerful PSAs - Sexual Abuse (VIDEO)

Sexual abuse is not a light subject, and this powerful appropriately creepy and disturbing public service announcement video ad successfully delivers the message: “If sexually abused children never get… [More]

12. Interactive Store Windows - Diesel Milan Display is Very Big Brother (VIDEO)

Frantic Milanese shoppers are being catapulted from their hypnotic states as they witness the reverberation of their reflections projected in front of them. The images are displayed across an interactive… [More]

13. Sexy Fashletics - Paris Hilton For Fila (VIDEO)

Paris Hilton has managed to make Fila’s sportswear look very sexy according to the photos we’ve seen of the photoshoot in which she seductively poses with a buff male model. A clip from the shoot shows… [More]

14. Cartoons Against Cigarettes - “A Magical Amount” Truth Campaign (VIDEO)

Don’t be fooled—this is no Lucky Charms commercial. If you’re familiar with the Truth campaigns against cigarettes, then you know the ads tend to be rather gorey. The latest ad, however, goes against… [More]

15. New Apple iPod + iTunes Commercial - Gamma (VIDEO)

One of the first stories I wrote when I joined Trend Hunter was the huge effect Apple’s Macbook Air commercial had on Yael Naim’s success on the charts. The song shot to the top 10 of the Billboard Hot… [More]

16. Louis Vuitton Journeys Campaign - Celeb Shots by Annie Leibowitz (VIDEO)

Louis Vuitton has teamed with fashion photographer Annie Liebowitz to create a series of new ads, the latest of which features Keith Richards.

The ad, created by Ogilvy & Mather, was launched today.… [More]

17. Cross Marketing Super Bowl & Valentines - Victoria’s Secret Covers all Bases (VIDEO)

The Victoria’s Secret website crashed after rumors of Super Bowl commercials promoting the website began circulating. The TV spot officially kicks off on February 3rd and will feature model, Adriana Lima.… [More]

18. Celebrity Wedding Photographers - Ashton Kutcher Nikon Ads (VIDEO)

A while back Trend Hunter told you about Nikon’s new campaign starring comedy actor Ashton Kutcher. The campaign has been very successful in reaching out to geeks, the celebrity-obsessed and the cool… [More]

19. Casual Luxury - Diesel Adds Black Gold Label (VIDEO)

In order to expand into a higher spectrum of the fashion market, Diesel has launched Black Gold, a new luxury division of the brand. The collection debuted today at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New… [More]

20. Creative Ad Campaign - M & M Election (VIDEO)

M & M Australia just unleashed a very creative fun new campaign, the M & Ms Election. Each of the five M & Ms characters is given a different political/campaign style to suit their personalities. The print… [More]

21. Viral Urban Graffiti - GTA IV NYC Wall Murals (VIDEO)

Grand Theft Auto IV has come up with a really creative campaign to market their latest game. GTA hired counterculture artists to create elaborate graffiti wall murals all around New York City.

The images… [More]

22. Sexy DIY Advertising Reveals the Truth Behind Chocolate (VIDEO)

I’m tired of traditional advertising that insults my intelligence. Too often, ads are one-way messages from brands telling consumers what to purchase through overt campaigns that depend on boring stereotypes… [More]

23. Custom Commercials - Your Custom Tattoos Star in Brazilian Beer Ad

I’m just nuts over interactive ads and this is a great one. It for the Brazilian Antarcita beer. You put your name in and somebody else’s name too. The names then appear on live characters - not cartoons.… [More]

24. Gesture Based Window Shopping - Orange’s No-Touch Interactive Shop Window (VIDEO)

Orange has launched an amazing new interactive window campaign featuring what at first appears to be a touch-screen interface, but is in fact a NO touch interactive shop window. Instead of requiring touch… [More]

25. Interactive Marketing - 1-click Awards (VIDEO)

1-click award is a competition rewarding the interactive works using mouse actions such as click. The contest offers the winner 500,000 yen and is being organized by Japanese recruiting company, Recruit.… [More]

26. Escalator Morphs Hairstyles - Juice Salon Ad (VIDEO)

An awesome new experience might just be your next escalator ride, that is if Juice Salon is advertising in your mall.

While you’re standing there looking down at the moving stairs five minutes after you’ve… [More]

27. Commercial Parodies - Russian Mail Order Bride Spoofs Dove Evolution (VIDEO)

Dove’s Evolution ad is one of the most viral internet videos of all time. Like many commercials that generate a lot of buzz, it’s been parodied, this time using a Russian mail order bride theme.

Some… [More]

28. Soccer Star Models - Samsung Ads Blend Risque With Talent (VIDEO)

After featuring the provocative Burger King football ads, here’s yet another viral ad capitalizing on the Euro 2008 frenzy, integrating soccer and sexy girls.  This commercial was shot for Samsung, used… [More]

29. Crap-vertising for Shock Movies - Canadian Men in Diapers (VIDEO)

This very clever parody ad would convince you that Canadian men love their diapers - until the end of the commercials and you find out the need the diapers so they can watch the all horror channel, Scream… [More]

30. Fitness Beer - Drinking Carlsberg Lite for Health? (VIDEO)

Carlsberg tries to appeal to the health-conscious consumer with this TV spot for Carlsberg Lite. Naturally, since we’re talking about guys, any approach won’t just cut it. It must feature lots and lots… [More]