The top April 2016 commercials are hyper-targeted towards extremely specific demographic groups. This includes Millennial-targeted popcorn ads, family-friendly furniture commercials, as well as insurance ads that use the language of "bros." In order to stay relevant, many advertisers are making the most of YouTube influencers, emojis and political commentary.
As a rejection of traditional commercial advertisements, some playful brands are even experimenting with interactive pre-roll ads and fast-forwarded commercials. Two commercials that truly reject established norms include Trolli's 'Inside Inside Inside James Harden's Head' and a series of ads from e-payment provider Klarna that show how "smooth" its service can be with off-the-wall visuals and messaging. As ever, humor is a large part of what makes commercials of this style a success.
Top 35 Commercial Ideas in April
From Costumed Adoption Campaigns to Hairy Pollution PSAs:
Laura McQuarrie — Apr 23, 2016 — Pop Culture
34
Quirky ePayment Commercials
Klarna's Offbeat Ads Communicate How Smooth Payments Can Be
33
Family-Focused Furniture Ads
The New Leon's Ads Emphasize the Role of Furniture in People's Lives
32
Reminiscent Candy Campaigns
Zedd and Aloe Blacc Team Up to Celebrate The M&Ms 75th Anniversary
31
Male-Targeted Insurance Ads
This Geico Insurance Ad Uses 'Brocabulary' to Speak to Bros
30
Hairy Pollution PSAs
This Ad by 'WildAid China' Conveys the Dangers of China's Air Polluttion
29
Email Subject-Generating Services
Adobe Campaign Helps Marketers Select High-Impact Subject Lines
28
Iconic Skate Brand Milestones
The Story of Vans Campaign Celebrates 50 Years of Off the Wall
27
Quirky Candy Ads
Janes Harden Stars in a Mind-Bending New Ad from Trolli
26
Lie-Detecting Test Drives
Smart Has People Test Drive a Vehicle While Taking a Lie Detector Test
25
Female-Targeted Sports Ads
This Ad for Dick's Sporting Goods Caters to Fitness-Minded Women
24
Uplifting Sportswear Ads
Sport Chek's Newest Workout Commercial Connects with Female Yogis
23
Community-Building Cocoa Videos
KitKat's Influencers Explore Sustainable Chocolate Production
22
Empowering Emoji Campaigns
The #LikeAGirl Campaign Demonstrates the New for More Diverse Emojis
21
Bro-Focused Food Commercials
This Jack in the Box Commercial is Designed to Appeal to Millennials
20
Cereal Brand Bee-Saving Initiatives
Honey Nut Cheerios Wants to Help You #BringBackTheBees
19
Costumed Adoption Campaigns
This Stunt Dressed Up Stray Dogs as Purebreds for Halloween
18
Expressive Automotive Ads
This Chevrolet Ad Explores the Facebook Emojis with 'From Like to Love'
17
Millennial-Targeted Popcorn Ads
This Smartfood Campaign is the First Major Effort from the Brand
16
Artistic Teen Campaigns
Autumn de Forest Stars in this Empowering Nordstrom Kids Commercial
15
Boy Scout Milk Campaigns
This Cookies and Milk Campign Pairs Girl Guide Cookies & Boy Scout Milk
14
Backtracking Earth Hour Ads
This Earth Hour 2016 Ad Shows a Woman in 2090 and Backtracks to Today
13
Adventurous Astronaut Commercials
Dos Equis Sends the Most Interesting Man in the World to Space
12
Fast-Forwarded Insurance Ads
Geico's Newest Pre-Roll Ads Do the Skipping for Viewers
11
Comforting Fast Food Commercials
This KFC Commercial Emphasizes the Importance of Comfort Food
10
Comforting Insurance Commercials
AAA's Auto Insurance Ad Reveals How It Improves Overall Life
9
Humorous Health Insurance Ads
United Healthcare's 'Our Song' Ad Depicts a Romantic Day Gone Wrong
8
Dubbed Superstore Ads
This Ad for Kohl's Uses Voice-Overs of Oscar-Winning Acceptance Speeches
7
Comprehensive Email Marketing Services
iCubes Helps Brands Conceive and Execute Email Campaigns
6
Political Marshmallow Campaigns
This Digital Campaign Pits Peeps Candy Against the Groundhog
5
Family-Focused Toy Store Ads
The Toys "R" Us Holiday Ad Focuses on Family Rather Than Products
4
Anti-Processed Food Campaigns
This Dairy Company Declares War on Big Food with Its New Ad
3
Soulful Holiday Duets
This Apple Holiday Commercial Features Stevie Wonder and Andra Day
2
Targeted Marketing Software
Square Marketing Varies Email Promotions Based On Customer Categories
1
Sci-Fi Holiday Campaigns
This Target Holiday Commercial Targets Star Wars Fans
Related Ideas
Celebrity-Fronted Mobile Game Commercials
Supercell Debuts Squad Busters with an Exciting Campaign
Playful Pet Accident Campaigns
IKEA Unveils the Don't Worry, You Can Afford It Campaign
Aggressive Athlete Ads
Nike Launches the Winning Isn’t for Everyone Campaign
Anti-Consumption Natural Ads
The 'Girls Just Wanna Grow Plants' Ad Aims to Reducing Consumption
AI-Lead Car Ads
Ford Launched an AI Campaign Dubbed 'Be Surreal, Be Ford'
Halloween-Inspired Pretzel Campaigns
Snyder’s of Hanover Debuts the 'Pretzelface' Campaign
Ingenious De-Influencing Ads
Cuyana's De-Influencing April Fool's Campaign Highlights Greenwashing
Kid-Powered Imagination Campaigns
Lunchables' A.I. vs K.I. Proves Kids' Limitless Creativity
Hands-Free Car Innovations
Ford Partnered with the British Deaf Association to Launch an Ad
Groundbreaking AR Posters
Wall's Out-of-Home Ads Make AR Experiences Unmissable with WinDOOH Tech
Hug-Inspired Olympics Campaigns
Coca-Cola's Summer Olympics Campaign was Inspired by True Events
80s-Inspired Pet-Friendly Cereals
BARK Presents the Snack Pack of Colorful Cereal Boxes
Personalized Digital Playgrounds
Pringles Poptopia is an Immersive, Engaging Experience for Fans
In-Game Billboard Advertising
Gameloft Enables Partners to Advertise Natively in its Games
Purposeful Consumer-Focused Campaigns
IKEA's Sleepfluencers Campaign is a Clever Way to Give Back
Influencer-Inspired Ads
Tomcat's Ad Shows an Influencer Mouse with a Fatal Unboxing Twist
Sporty Fashion Spring Campaigns
adidas Originals Introduces the 1000 Back Campaign
AI-Fuelled QSR Animated Commercials
McDonald's Japan Rolls Out an AI Ad to Spotlight its Fries
Humorous Automotive Campaigns
Hyundai’s 'Where Have You Been?' Ad Merges Nostalgia and Branding
Athletic Apparel Interactive Billboards
Gymshark Unveils the Shoplift Campaign Ahead of Sale
Star-Studded Tech Campaigns
Jewellery Pros and Music Talent Promote the Bose Ultra Open Earbuds
Humorous Payment Campaigns
Paypal's Latest Campaign Features Actor Will Ferrell
Lazy Cereal Campaigns
SURREAL Cereal Cheekily Pokes Fun at New Year's Resolutions
Inspiring Leftover Ads
Hellmann's Mayo Cat Super Bowl Ad Uses Mayonnaise to Fight Food Waste
Cinematic New Year Campaigns
Prada Releases Its High-Fashion Campaign for Chinese New Year
Seasonal Phone Booth Activations
Spotify's Q4 is Calling Urges Brands to Start Holiday Advertising
Gen Z-Centric Campaigns
Urban Outfitters' Shift Happens Campaign Has Three Phases
Cinematic GenAI Campaigns
The Know-It Alls by Perplexity is a Movie-Style Trailer
Multichannel Retail Campaigns
Urban Outfitters' 'Happy Lolidays' Campaign is Engaging
Convention-Challenging AC Campaigns
Samsung's WindFree Ad Stars a Savvy Grandma-Fluencer
Provocative AR Campaigns
NotCo's 'Not So Happy Animals' Presents Food Logos in a New Light
Gen Alpha Marketing Campaigns
Claire's is Targeting TikTok Growth for its Latest Ads Spending
Young Travellers-Targeting Campaigns
Progressive Insurance Has Introduced a New Campaign
Craveable Soda Packaging
Sprite is Reviving Its Obey Your Thirst Campaign for a New Generation
Gen Z-Focused Personal Care
Kiehl's New 'Pubic Service Announcement' Campaign Taps Ilana Glazer
Architecture-Inspired QSR Ads
This New McDonald’s Campaign Encourages Eating at Home
Marketer-Targeted Cereal Ads
Surreal's Out-of-Home Campaign Speaks to Marketers, Not Consumers
Cosmetic Criminal Commercials
Elf's Cosmetic Criminals Ad is a 15-Minute True Crime Parody
AI-Generated Holiday Soda Ads
The Coca-Cola Holidays Are Coming Ad Has Been Updated with AI
Springtime Holiday Cereal Branding
Lucky Charms Limited-Edition Packaging is Here for Spring
Cross-Category Refreshment Campaigns
Sprite and Pringles Hot Have Teamed Up for a New Campaign
Iconic Character-Inspired Campaigns
Etsy's Christmas Ad Celebrates Personalized Gifting
Futuristic Shapewear Ads
Skims' First-Ever TV Ad, Skims Lab, Stars Kim Kardashian in Every Role
Quirky Athlete-Centric Mayo Campaigns
Hellmann's New 'Mayotivations Campaign' Features Will Levis
Active Lifestyle-Supporting Campaigns
Kellogg's® Vector® Launches the Become Your Player Campaign
Gen Z-Influenced Marketing Campaigns
Kraft Heinz is Studying Gen Z's Preferences with New Launches
Creativity Time Capsules
Crayola's Campaign for Creativity Reunites Adults with Childhood Art
Scented Fast Food Billboards
McDonald's Set Up a French Fry-Scented Billboard
Smart Shopping Cart Ads
Instacart Unveiled Ads for Its AI-Powered Caper Carts
Hispanic Hair Care Campaigns
Acast and Henkel Fostered Positive Conversations in a New Campaign
Humorous Pet Furniture Campaigns
IKEA Playfully Presents its UTSÅDD Collection in a Campaign
Cookies-Inspired Personal Care Lines
Native Unveils a Girl Scouts of the USA Personal Care Line
Neighborhood-Inspired Campaigns
Kotn's F/W 2024 Collection is Released with a Witty Short-Film
Shoppable CPG Ads
Instacart-Powered Shoppable Video Ads are Coming to YouTube
Rebranded Food Delivery Apps
Skip Revamps Its Brand Identity to 'Skip to the Good Part'
Epic Rapper-Backed Soda Campaigns
PEPSI Launched its 'Make Your Gameday Epic' Campaign
Empowering Self-Care Pizza Ads
Domino's New Ad Encourages Women to Give into Their Cravings
Cancer Awareness CPG Packaging
This Unilever Pink Packaging Marks Breast Cancer Awareness
Dog-Focused QSR Campaigns
The Hot Dog on a Stick Dog Days of Summer Campaign Treats Pooches
College-Inspired Haircare Pop-Ups
Monday Haircare Hosted an Interactive Pink Truck
Hyper-Personalized AI Campaigns
Tesco's Stronger Starts Uses AI to Recognize Customers by Name
Rapper-Approved Product Campaigns
Topicals Introduces a New Fading Product with Rapper Flo Milli
Food-Themed Holiday Campaigns
Kroger’s 2024 Holiday Campaign Celebrates Food and Connection
Anthropomorphic Store Campaigns
IKEA's Short Social Films Promote Its Click-and-Collect Service
GenAI TV Ads
ITV's AI-Generated Ad Service Helps New-to-TV Brands Affordably Reach More Audiences
Provocative Guerrilla Campaigns
Jewelry Brand MWCurated Uses Fake Infidelity Flyers for Marketing
Comfort-Focused Footwear Ads
The ALDO Spring 2024 Campaign Highlights Its Pillow Walk Technology
Mental Health Snack Initiatives
Pringles Relaunched a QR Design for Exclusive Movember Tubes
Erectile Dysfunction Medication Ads
Phoenix Wants to Help Canadian Men ‘Rise Again’
Eco-Minded Millennial Ads
Coors Seltzer's 'Call to Inaction' Campaign Aims to Save Water
Streaming Service Expansions
Spotify Launched an In-house Creative Agency, Spotify Creative Lab
Footballer-Backed Global Campaigns
Pepsi Unveils the 'Where There's a Ball There's a Way' Campaign
Connected Beer Jerseys
Miller Lite's Running of the Beer Ads Turns Fans into Walking Billboards
Co-Branded Custom Ads
Lexus and Universal Pictures Partner for the 'Experience OZmazing' Spot
Extraterrestrial Influencer Campaigns
MoonPie's Alien Acquisition Shares Ads for Extraterrestrials
Stylish Soda Pop-Ups
Poppi World Enticed Health-Conscious, Fashionable Visitors During NYFW
Gen Z Breakfast Campaigns
'Start the Day the Totino’s Way' Targets Teens Who Skip Morning Meals
Cheerful Healthy Snack Campaigns
Garden Veggie Snacks' YUMbelievably Delicious is Innovative
On-Demand Bubbly Water Campaigns
"Press for Bubly" Keeps Non-Drinkers Committed to Dry January
Humorous Natural Deodorant Campaigns
The Every Man Jack 'Still Smell Good' Campaign is Catchy
Musical Nut Campaigns
INC's NutTunes Campaign Reaches Gen Z Through Spotify
Family-Honoring Festive Campaigns
JD Celebrates all Forms of Family in 2024 Xmas Family Campaign
Quirky Plant-Based Food Ads
Gosh! Food's Falafel Advertisement is Surprising
Animated Iced Tea Ads
Brisk Iced Tea Debuts a Claymation Ad Starring Doja Cat
Collaborative Digital Coffee Campaigns
illy Launches its Digital Content Series 'Coffee Break'
History-Centric Advertisements
Royal Ontario Museum's Epic Natural History Ad is Inspiring
Donut Inspired Ad Campaigns
Dunkin' Donuts New Ad Campaign is Called Dunkin'Terns
Colorful Kitchen Pop-Ups
Primal Kitchen Partners with Pintrest for a Special Initiative
Human Connection-Centric Campaigns
Etsy's New Ad Campaign Wants to Keep Commerce Human
Movie-Inspired Truck Commercials
Ram Truck Partners with Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures
Shoppable Luxury Fashion Films
Tom Ford Allows Consumers to Seamlessly Shop Its Spring 2024 RTW
Peeling Cheese Packaging Billboards
This Babybel Billboard is Inspired by the Product's Packaging
Social Soda Mixer Campaigns
Level Up With 7UP Inspires Gen Z and Millennial Consumers
Nostalgic Long-Form Infomercials
Mint Mobile's 'Mintfomercial' Offers Humor and Nostalgia
Artistic Multi-Beverage Ads
The Coca-Cola Family is Spotlighted in this Unique Ad
Time Capsule-Style Branding Campigns
Coors Light & Patrick Mahomes Present a Unique Project
Emotive AI Actors
CreatorKit Helps Businesses Create Video Ads with Hyper-Realistic AI People
Interactive Toothpaste Packaging
Bluemarlin Created the Designs for the Colgate Toothpaste Packs
Familial Meal Kit Campaigns
HelloFresh, Hello Dinner Spotlights the Uniqueness of Households
Influencer Snack Bar Campaigns
Nature Valley Launches a Social-Oriented Digital Marketing Campaign
Sketch Comedy Retail Commercials
The Target Lady Ad Revives a Familiar Comedic Character
Savory Ice Cream Sandwiches
Nightingale x Pizza Hut Dreamed Up a New Snack for April Fool's Day
Anniversary-Celebrating Storytelling Ads
The Walt Disney Company Mark Marvel's 85th Anniversary
AI-Crafted Banking Ads
The U.S. Bank Debuts 'The Power of Us' Campaign
Refreshed Beauty Jingles
Maybelline Reworked the Maybe It’s Maybelline Jingle for a New Generation
Creator-Celebrating Campaigns
The Frito-Lay My Joy Campaign Celebrates Creators of All Backgrounds
Recycled Ad Campaigns
Mars is Reusing Fan-Favorite Ads to Bring Attention to Climate Change
Champion Tax Ads
H&R Block's Ads Claim All Users are Tax Champions
Timeless Price Commercial Re-Runs
IKEA Canada Brings Back its Iconic Start the Car Commercial
Gamified Yogurt Tube Campaigns
The Frubes Freeze ‘Em Campaign Includes a New Online Game
Cheeky Financial Stress-Alleviating Campaigns
HOPWTR Has Debuted a Creative Promotional Campaign
Playful QSR Campaigns
Cossette Forms the New McDonald's Campaign to Closest Restaurant
Social Justice Desert Campaigns
Ben & Jerry's 'Make Some Motherchunkin' Change' Campaign Debuted
Hard-To-Read Health Campaigns
A Specsavers Campaign Encourages Movie-Goers to Check their Sight
Australian Yogurt Campaigns
Yoplait Launches a New Platform and Marketing Campaign with AJF
Thematic Athlete-Celebrating Dairy Commercials
Mengniu Recognizes Chinese Athletes with New Ad
Hyper-Local Gym Ads
GymBox's Made for London Life Ads Juxtapose City Living and Gym-Going
Influencer-Starring Car Commercials
Toyota's New Short Film Seeks to Resonate with Gen Z Customers
Revamped Freshness Platforms
Mars Announces a New Brand Identity for Its Gums and Mints Brands
Bizarre Soda Campaigns
Dr Pepper's Try More Weird Disrupts Life's Boredoms with Weirdness
Mini Musical Productivity Ads
Slack's The Big Meeting Takes on a Musical Number
Celebrity-Backed Fragrance Ads
Axe Targets Generation Z with its New Star-Studded Campaign
Frozen Pizza-Centered Campaigns
Dr. Oetker Debuts the Frozen Pizza Publicist Campaign
Cheeky Candy Campaigns
This Kinder Bueno Campaign Targets Millennial and Gen Z Consumers
Celebrity Super Bowl Commercials
NYX Makeup and Cardi B Debut Their First Super Bowl Commercial
Vibrant Runner-Targeted Commercials
PUMA Southeast Asia Debuts a Community-Based Video Campaign
Pet-Inspired Proposal Initiatives
Chewy Celebrated Engaged Couples with Their Pets
Mango-Scented Newspaper Ads
Swiggy Instamart Launched a Scented Campaign in the Times of India
Advertising Demand-Side Platforms
Yahoo Launched Yahoo Creative to Help Advertisers
Cheeky Tortilla Chip Campaigns
This SimplyProtein Campaign Will Appear on Digital Platforms
Heist-Themed Cheese Ads
This Maxi Babybel Ad Celebrates the Cheese's Return
Bar Cart Mascots
Tito's New Ad Series Features an Anthropomorphic Bar Cart with Mixology Skills
Comedic Groundhog Day Campaigns
Lay's Flavor for Days Campaign Taps into Groundhog Day
Debunking AI Apps
BSBot Helps Publicis Clients Tell the Truth About AI from Fiction at Cannes
Solution-Oriented Holiday Ads
Orange’s Holiday Ad Brings Families Together Over Smartphones
April Fool's Lifestyle Collections
Nugget Introduced Its 'Most Trendiest - High Endiest' Line Yet
Love-Centric Public Service Announcements
Ad Council & R/GA Debut the Love Has No Labels Campaign
Grocery Store Ad Spots
Morrisons, the UK Supermarket Chain, Celebrates Its Low Pricing in This Ad
Tween-Oriented Content Series
Claire's Launches a New Media Partnership with Sony Pictures TV-Kids
Nostalgic Seasonal Snack Campaigns
This Tyrrells Campaign Encourages Holiday Snacking