40+ humorous print ads

Default avatar.
March 08, 2013
40+ humorous print ads.

All work and no play, allegedly, makes Jack a dull boy. And advertisers seem to agree; globally, major brands seem more interested in making us laugh than selling a product; and for good reason: humor is one of the best ice-breakers. If a brand can make you happy, they can make you open your wallet.

With that in mind, ad execs often turn to the humorous, irreverent, or even outlandish to break through the clutter and demand attention. Sure, sometimes jokes fall flat; but do it well, and the effect goes beyond the eyes — to the brain, to the emotions, and most of all, to behavior change.

And so, for a bit of Friday fun, we thought we'd share some amusing, irreverent, strange and comical adverts from around the world. Enjoy!

3M Post-It: Making a Difference, Boyfriend

Post-it Boyfriend

Tums Extra: Lamb

Tums Extra

Bearded Lady Bourbon: The Search

Bearded Lady Bourbon

Volkswagen: Park Assist Technology, Hedgehog/Fish

VW Hedgehog

Playtex: Tattoo Boy

Playtex

The Cape Times: William

The Cape Times

Nataraj Pencils: Wrecking Ball

Nataraj Pencils

Energy Australia: Treadmill

Energy Australia

Huggies/Kimberly Clark: Political

Huggies

New York International Latino Film Festival: Serial Killer Movie Recipe

New York International Latino Film Festival

Milky Way: Skaters

Milky Way

Volkswagen: Park Assist Technology, Car Jack/Glass Truck

VW Car Jack

Etch A Sketch: Sushi

Etch A Sketch

San Francisco SPCA: Waiting Room

SF SPCA

Old Spice Swagger: Action Hero

Old Spice

Alo Ultra: Spaghetti Napolitan

Alo Ultra

Maxam Civilization: Egypt

Maxam Civilization

Blackstar Bikes: Panda

Blackstar

3M Scotch Tape: Chameleon

3m Scotch Tape

Ferretti Yachts: When the Master’s Away

Ferretti Yachts

Pymes Magazine: Milk

Pymes

Volkswagen: Park Assist Technology, Portaloo/Hearse

VW Portaloo

Kaleva Newspaper: Underground

Kaleva

Santher: Misses

Santher

Visa: Stanley Cup Playoff Beard

Visa

El Comercio Newspaper: Pig

El Comercio

Toshiba: Studying

Toshiba

Kyivstar: Shared Birdfeeder

Kyivstar

Colgate Dental Floss: Smile, 3

Colgate

Arjuna Yoga Centre: Woman

Arjuna

Volia Broadband: Titanic

Voila

Ibuprom: Woodpeckers

Ibuprom

Santher: Scout

Santher

Sky Company Parachuting: Wind

Sky

MasterCard Canada: Women’s Golf Classic

MasterCard Canada

Witte Molen: Last Wish

Witte Molen

Wrigley Orbit: Cow

Wrigley Orbit

3M Privacy Filter: For Your Eyes Only

3M Privacy

Bench Fix Hairstyling Products: Gecko

Bench Fix Hair

Volia Broadband: King Kong

Volia Broadband

The Art Director’s Club: Keep Fighting the Good Fight, Illustration

Art Directors Club

McDonald’s: Tiffany

McDonalds

Which of these ads is your favourite? Do they do a good job of selling the product? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Stacey Kole

Stacey Kole is a freelance writer and former magazine editor. When she’s not crafting copy or chasing after her two little boys, Stacey can be found drinking coffee, tea, or anything else with caffeine. You can connect with her on LinkedIn or follow her on Twitter.

Read Next

LimeWire Developer APIs Herald a New Era of AI Integration

Generative AI is a fascinating technology. Far from the design killer some people feared, it is an empowering and…

20 Best New Websites, March 2024

Welcome to our pick of sites for March. This month’s collection tends towards the simple and clean, which goes to show…

Exciting New Tools for Designers, March 2024

The fast-paced world of design never stops turning, and staying ahead of the curve is essential for creatives. As…

Web Tech Trends to Watch in 2024 and Beyond

It hardly seems possible given the radical transformations we’ve seen over the last few decades, but the web design…

6 Best AI Productivity Apps in 2024

There’s no escaping it: if you want to be successful, you need to be productive. The more you work, the more you…

3 Essential Design Trends, February 2024

From atypical typefaces to neutral colors to unusual user patterns, there are plenty of new website design trends to…

Surviving the Leap from College to Real-World Design

So, you’ve finished college and are ready to showcase your design skills to the world. This is a pivotal moment that…

20 Mind-Bending Illusions That Will Make You Question Reality

Mind-bending videos. Divisive Images. Eye-straining visuals. This list of optical illusions has it all. Join us as we…

15 Best New Fonts, February 2024

Welcome to February’s roundup of the best new fonts for designers. This month’s compilation includes some innovative…

The 10 Best WordPress Quiz Plugins in 2024

Whether it’s boosting your organic search visibility or collecting data for targeted email marketing campaigns, a great…

20 Best New Websites, February 2024

It’s almost Valentine’s Day, so this latest collection is a billet-doux celebrating the best of the web this month.

Everything You Need to Know About Image Formats In 2024

Always trying to walk the tightrope between image quality and file size? Looking to branch out from JPGs and PNGs this…