ADVERTISING PARODIES

Resource Center » Advertising Parodies

Some ads are just too juicy not to spoof, and with the Internet providing a stage these ads often gain as much recognition as the original ad. These jabs can come from any direction, including comedy sketches and talk shows, users or protest groups, and even business rivals.

Some of the funniest rivalries have centered around Apple and Microsoft. They jab each other, Linux jabs both, and creative people uploading to YouTube have had a field day with all of it.

These are a few of the funniest parodies centering on Microsoft, Apple and Linux:

- Apple iPod Commercial Spoof (YouTube video)

- Microsoft Spoofs Already on YouTube (article from Advertising Age)

- Truenuff.com (has diligently provided spoofs addressing nearly every Mac and Linux advertising effort)

MadTV's commercial spoofs are legendary. Here are some of the funniest:

- AT&T Commercial Spoof

- Hamburger Helper Commercial Spoof

- UPS "What can Brown do for you?" Spoof (the campaign that spawned a million poop jokes)

- Tickleme Emo

No advertiser is safe on these parody sites:

- Adparody.com

- adhack.com (invites users to contribute Valentine's Day spoof ads)

- adbusters.org

- thespoof.com (a UK based online spoof magazine that takes regular potshots at advertising)

- theonion.com (a satirical newspaper that takes on the ubiquitous anti-depressant ads with this brilliant spoof news story about the first depressant on the market - for the annoyingly cheerful)

Blogs and articles about ad parodies:

- Advertising is Good for You by Paula Zargaj-Reynolds

- Unleashed on Marketing blog by Gary Bembridge

- Microsoft Blog Spoofs Advertising

Parody with a point:
This poorly-conceived commercial from Motrin offended so many people that a Twitter group called Mob (Moms On a Budget) protested vehemently and caused Motrin to take it off the air. They then reverted to direct marketing their product via promotional giveaways.

Original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM268OyqChg&feature=related
Parody: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpqpAGLS2t4
Point: MadTv gives us the IRack dual-purpose crossover spoof

Not all spoofs are jibes at advertisers. Some are mainstream commercial ads perpetrated by major marketers:

- Novell Linux Takes on Both PC and Mac

- Godaddy.com Spoofs a Congressional Hearing with this Super Bowl Commercial (at one point, Fox refused to air this)

- DirecTV Spoofs Stephen King Movie "Misery"

- Burger King Spoofed Designers with the "Ugoff" Character Campaign

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