Best Animated TV Adverts

Sometimes we need a little something different to capture our attention when it comes to the TV ad breaks – animated TV adverts have been around for a long time, and can work a treat when used correctly to make a commercial stand out amongst the crowd. 

While cartoons have long been used to distract children and are usually the fodder of CBBC and the like, lots of everyday household name brands have used animated TV adverts to great effect. Here are some of our favourites:

Hanna-Barbera – Halifax, 2016

Back in 2016 Halifax created a series of animated adverts in collaboration with legendary animation house Hanna-Barbera. The adverts, using beloved characters from cartoon shows The Flintstones, Top Cat and Scooby-Doo, mix animation and live action to promote the bank’s initiatives like mortgage loans, switching benefits and cashback schemes. 

By drawing on beloved characters from our childhoods and carefully tweaking each storyline to suit each show, the adverts set Halifax apart from other more serious bank adverts. The adverts were animated by The Mill, with careful attention paid to keeping faithful to the traditional animation style of the 1960s and blending this with live action, modern footage.

The Last Game – Nike, 2014

A true piece of art, Nike’s cartoon advert ‘The Last Game’ was produced by over 300 people – including over 100 artists – by Passion Pictures. The animated ad was part of Nike’s ‘#riskeverything’ campaign, and was released around the time of the World Cup, when football fever was truly at its pitch perfect peak. 

The advert had a runtime of five minutes, and was a truly bold and incredibly cinematic advert that pushed boundaries of what ad breaks could do. The message of the advert is that football is supposed to be daring and that you have to take risks to succeed. Creating such a long and laborious advert in itself was a risk, that paid off – within a few days of release Nike’s cartoon ad had around 30 million views.

#NameOurBaby – Argos, 2013

The Argos aliens became something of a household cult classic in the 2010s, with the 2013 baby advert truly taking the campaign to another dimension. In the advert, we follow along as the extra-terrestrial family learn that they’re expecting a little bundle of joy. 

We then see the family’s journey through pregnancy, as the father (apparently this is a species where the male partner carries the offspring, don’t ask) goes through all the hormones and emotions of being with child. Meanwhile, Mummy Alien has painstakingly kitted out the nursery with Argos products. The advert then introduces a hashtag #NameOurBaby, asking the public to interact online to come up with the best alien baby moniker.

Grrr – Honda, 2014

This catchy and memorable animated advert was part of a huge campaign masterminded by agency W+K for Honda. In addition to this iconic animated TV ad, Honda took out newspaper advertisements, created an online game and even handed out free merchandise. The TV ad itself was incredibly successful, winning multiple awards at the Cannes Lions Festival including the top prize. 

The advert is a stunning work of animation, with a richly coloured wild setting of trees and animals that’s rudely interrupted by some noisy, dirty engines. Actor Garrison Keilor then sings a song called ‘Hate’, as we watch the engines disrupt the beautiful landscape. Before long, however, nature fights back and Honda’s new, quieter and cleaner Diesel i-CTDi engine is introduced – a better alternative inspired by hating the old version.

Have You Had Yours? – Weetabix, 2022

This recent Weetabix advert presents a clever take on the classic Three Little Pigs tale. The animated ad shows the famous wolf character blowing down the houses – one of straw, one of wood and – eventually – one of bricks. We’re told in no uncertain terms that the only reason Wolf has the lung capacity to decimate a brick house is because he’s had his Weetabix (and for some reason he’s still carrying the full box around with him). 

The advert uses a classic animation style that’s almost reminiscent of Looney Tunes-style cartoons, and uses lots of references – including an iPhone on charge in one of the pigs’ houses – to bring the tale and the brand up to date.

Are there any memorable TV adverts that use animation we should include on our list?