Forget the post-holiday slump and the whispers of "Dry January." This month wasn't just about touchdowns and commercials with budgets bigger than Hollywood blockbusters (although those were pretty awesome, too).
While Super Bowl ads may have stolen the spotlight, there are some incredible brands that snuck in under the radar and dared to shine in a month overshadowed by marketing giants.
These ads not only entertained with me their brilliant marketing, but also tickled my funny bones. Some commercials even made me want to watch them all over again; and yes, I laughed out loud every time.
So, here’s the lowdown on the five ads — the witty rebels, the creativity chameleons and the humor masters — that made it to my most awesome list this January.
Sorbent’s 'Behind Every Great Australian'
Sorbent’s one-minute trailer is just a joy to watch, portraying its tissue product as the unsung hero “Behind Every Great Australian” in comical yet still stunning visuals paired with perfectly rhyming prose.
“Behind every bride’s ‘I do,’ is a little nervous no. 2. Behind every hardworking job site, are harder-working rolls of Silky White.” This is just a sample of how witty the rhymes are.
By focusing on relatable situations and everyday heroes, the ad creates a connection with viewers, making them chuckle while subtly reminding them of the product's undeniable usefulness.
And this is why “Behind Every Great Australian” is one of my most favorite ads this month. I don’t get tired of how witty and funny yet very relatable it is. Watch it, and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
KAYAK’s 'Don’t Do It Yourself'
Travel platform Kayak’s “Don’t Do It Yourself” ad campaign comes in a trilogy, with each 30-seconder throwing shade at people’s do-it-yourself mantra with side-splitting humor.
A man vacuums his carpeted floor with his mouth. An old woman becomes a scarecrow to (what else) scare crows away. A man fishes at a mall’s koi pond.
All of these absurd situations happen because of an equally absurd reason for avoiding Kayak's simple search tool: trusting only themselves to do things right.
This campaign is more than just funny; it's smart. It taps into our shared travel woes and amplifies them to comedic extremes, highlighting the ease and efficiency of Kayak.
The ads don't just sell a product; they create a shared experience, one where we can say, “Yeah, I was almost that person.”
And it seems that Kayak’s ad trilogy is not only a hit with me, but with 43 million other YouTube users. Check out what all the views are about.
Austria’s ChatSkiPT
While AI chatbots are all the rage, Austria's tourism board is taking a refreshingly human approach with its "ChatSkiPT" campaign.
Forget about automated responses and generic recommendations. Instead, have direct access to 16 real-life ski instructors, straight from the slopes of the Austrian Alps.
On top of impressive visuals of Austria’s ski slopes and a touch of humor, the concept of ChatSkiPT capitalizes on customers’ frustrations when chatting with bots.
Everyone can relate that no robotic script can replicate human interaction, and ChatSkiPT’s “authentic intelligence” takes advantage of this.
The name “ChatSkiPT” is simply genius, and it promotes recall so much that it made it to my list.
BRLO’s 'Yes, Chef!'
Remember that steamy Calvin Klein ad with Jeremy Allen White parading around in his tighty whities?
Berlin brewery BRLO flips the script with its “Yes, Chef!” ad featuring a regular dude, rocking a beard and a full belly, confidently shedding his clothes one piece at a time.
No chiseled jawline, no impossible poses – just a relatable human enjoying the Berlin breeze (and maybe a few awkward pull-ups, because hey, we're not all gym rats).
BRLO capitalizes on Dry January by offering a delicious alternative: NAKED, their refreshing non-alcoholic beer.
This commercial’s uniqueness lies in its unoriginality. Let's be honest, watching a regular dude try to imitate a Calvin Klein model is already inherently funny. And just with this, it already made it to my favorites list.
But what BRLO did is so much more. It made the original ad fit its own message, so much so that you wouldn’t even find it funny if you’re not familiar with the Calvin Klein ad.
The ad isn’t really about achieving some unrealistic ideal. It's about feeling comfortable in your own skin and enjoying life's simple pleasures (and yes, sometimes we can do that while drinking beer naked).
Denmark’s 'Danish Zen'
Instead of using adrenaline-pumping adventures and picture-perfect tourist traps like most tourism campaigns do, Denmark invites you to unwind with a refreshing dose of “Danish Zen.”
Simple billboards showing plain text urge "influencers, city planners and soccer moms" – practically everyone – to chill. This is coupled with a reaction video of a skeptical vlogger that comically gains an understanding of what Danish Zen really is.
Because Denmark doesn’t really have famous historical sites, the campaign ingeniously shifted the attention to its people and culture. This stands out in a sea of tourist ads pushing for excitement.
And many can certainly relate to this, always planning an action-packed holiday that leaves them tired instead of rejuvenated. Everyone needs to just take a step back from their busy lives and chill.
This ad actually made me rethink how I plan my vacations. And surprisingly, I find myself putting Denmark on the list of countries I want to visit someday (this is one of the reasons why it’s also on my awesome ads list).
And that caps off my list of the most awesome ads of January (Can you count how many times I used “awesome” in this article?). Watch out for next month’s best ads. And yes, it will still all be based on my personal standards of what “best” is.
