90s TV Adverts
Feeling nostalgic? We take a look at some of the best TV advertisements from the 90s which shaped the decade and are often still referenced today! See below to see our top picks;
Budweiser – Wassup!
Only just making the cut as a 90s advert, this famous/infamous advert first aired on the 20th December 1999. This advert was broadcast worldwide and has since been referenced on TV shows and programmes such as the Scary movie franchise, the Simpsons and more recently featured on How I met your mother and Ant Man. We absolutely love the Budweiser ads, see our top ten television adverts of all time post to see another one of our favourites!
Tango – Orangeman
A very controversial advert that was actually banned for encouraging “happy slapping”, the Tango Orangeman advert features a sports commentator style narration of what happens when you drink a tango, invisible to the naked eye! You can make up your own mind as to whether this advert should have been banned or not, but I’m sure we can all agree that this was a pivotal moment for the Tango brand. You know when you’ve been tangoed.
Daddy or chips? McCain
A personal favourite, creating a joke around the table whenever chips were served. In this McCain advert, we see a Sophie’s choice situation, where the daughter is being asked to choose whether she prefers Daddy or chips, talk about a stress-inducing situation! Watch the TV advert below to find out her final decision! In our opinion, the association with this advert and the McCain brand isn’t that strong – this could easily be an advert for a supermarket or other brand of chips. Nonetheless, it’s iconic enough to make it to our list.
Jaffa Cake: Total Eclipse
Who hasn’t watched this advert then acted out this scene? In this hilarious clip, a teacher is teaching her class about the phases of the moon cycle, whilst conveniently tucking into jaffa cakes as she does so. Considering teachers work long hours and often don’t get a chance for a lunch break, I’d say this is a brilliant form of education. Watch the advert below.
Kelloggs Fruit and Fibre
The Kelloggs Fruit and Fibre advert deserves a spot as one of the best of the 90s advertisements based on having a catchy tune that I still proudly sing out loud today. The UK seems to lack in the jingle-style TV advertisements you see more frequently in the US, so Kellogg’s did well to go against the UK norms and produce this memorable bit of advertising.
The Andrex Puppy
A campaign that’s still continuing today, Andrex use a puppy to represent the softness of their premium toilet paper brand. There were several Andrex puppy adverts in the 90s, but below is one of my favourites – with a speaking role from our fluffy four-legged friend!
Safestyle – You buy one you get one free!
Looking back, the Safestyle advert looks incredibly low budget, you just need some red polo shirts, an old pair of green curtains to use as a jacket, and a few window frames. However, the charisma and repetitiveness within the advert is what has made it the iconic advert we still remember today. Not-so-fun fact; the actor in this advert, Jeff Brown, was reported in 2016 to be facing a potential prison sentence for fraudulent tax evasion, clearly the BOGOF deal didn’t save him as much money as he would have liked!
Shakey Jake – Wibble wobble!
This choice may be a little niche, but it’s one I remember fondly. Written by Dave Williams and art directed by Paul Cottrell, the Shakey Jake advert is meant to highlight that the milkshakes contain fresh whole milk and real fruit. However, with the bright colours and a yellow milkshake bottle vibrating all over the place this message seems to be quite hidden amongst the chaos. Nevertheless, I used to love these and wish they’d come back to the supermarket shelves!
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