Using next to nothing to be funny: 21 minimalistic, funny advertisements

Some brands try really hard to be funny with an ad, others keep it minimalistic. This often works out just as good, even though you might need some more time to understand the joke. I personally like it when you have to think a little, especially when the result is getting a joke.

 As if four paper clips would randomly lay somewhere in Germany, they'd be in their appropriate box.

WTF Japan? - Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, but I wish it was

I personally don't like banana's. I don't know why, maybe it's a character flaw. It's a given that the guy below definitely does like bananas. Studies show people share 50% of their DNA with bananas, but in this guys' case, it's definitely more. Dole, the company behind this weird banana ad, is the largest producer of fruit and vegetables in the world. As much history as they might write in the food branch, they will forever be remembered for this.

What.

This is how you hire someone: 20 funny and clever recruitment ads

You don't just advertise when you're selling something. You can also advertise for other needs. For instance: You need new employees. Doing this in a funny way won't guarantee you better employees. It probably will get your more responses, which statistically enlarge your chances of getting a great employee.

If I can just read it back, I can definitely understand it. If gibbered to me in a noisy bar I'd definitely have a harder time.

The best commercials ever to come from Holland

"Even Apeldoorn bellen." Or as it's known to Americans: "Just call us." Probably a collection of the most clever commercials ever from Holland. They're made for an insurance company, Centraal Beheer, and feature people getting into the most ridiculous, but technically plausible situations. The answer to their situation is always simple, Just call us. The formula is incredibly simple, but unlike DIRECTV's ads, doesn't get old because it's applied very, very well.

I'm gonna feature three well-known ads here: Two that have been translated into English, the third one's my personal favourite. The first one is probably the most familiar with everyone. The commercial features Adam and Eve in paradise. Although this Adam sounds like he'd rather have Steve.

Not every brand wants to be funny pt. 2: Cultural differences

To pick an appropriate brand name isn't too easy itself. But introducing that name in a foreign country is another level of difficulty. We've looked at examples of brands that didn't want to be funny. These were funny because they were translated badly, or not at all. Today's examples have to do with deeper levels: Culture, pronunciation or slang terms.

Baby food producer Gerber wanted to introduce their baby food in Africa. Their jars obviously feature their logo, with a baby prominently in frame. What they didn't consider is that it's common in Africa to put the main ingredient of the product on the jar. Baby food got an entirely different meaning like this.