5 Funny Commercials from the APAC Region That Will Make Your Day

And we are back with yet another segment of #FunnyFridays where we bring to you some of the funniest videos from the web. While it may seem easy from the outside, making a funny ad is incredibly challenging. Most brands either fail to come up with a funny commercial or, at best, elicit only a gentle smile from the viewers.

However, some brands manage to break the ‘humor barrier’, thereby earning both attention and respect. It’s rare, though, that ad campaigns from Asia, especially APAC, are noticed for their humor quotient although the ads here often use humor to create a lasting impression on the viewers.

So, to give the region’s comedy reputation a boost, here we are with 5 insanely funny commercials from the APAC that actually know how to make you laugh.

1. NTUC Income: Singapore

The first commercial is from one of Singapore’s largest insurance companies, NTUC Income, as part of the company’s True Care campaign.

While the ad doesn’t seem anything out of the ordinary at first, it soon develops into a sharp and funny satire on the effect of social media on communications in today’s digital age. Although it’s slightly longer than most commercials, it’s surely worthwhile, especially with its heartwarmingly sappy ending.

2. Dutch Mill: Thailand

This commercial by the Thai dairy company Dutch Mill shows a Thai woman struggling to manage the complexities of a cosmopolitan business meeting. The woman is shown taking notes for the business and soon becomes overwhelmed.

The ad is funny because of its depiction of her stress to such an extreme that it goes past the ‘in good taste’ barrier, before quickly crossing back to showcase the benefits of the milky beverage that this ad was actually meant for.

3. Manulife: Philippines

What’s the secret behind creating a hilarious commercial? Well, bring in a real stand-up comic to create an ad around their jokes and you’re already there!

Manulife Philippines takes a novel approach to infusing humor into its ad campaign. The campaign shows a son talking about his career as a stand-up comedian and his father’s unflinching support to him that helped him pursue his passion. However, all of this is done through a deft touch of humor, which makes the commercial quite entertaining right from the start to the end.

4. Sakeru Gum: Japan

Japanese humor is probably the most unusual in the APAC region. While it’s difficult to say what exactly is different about their ads, most people would agree that Japanese humor often transcends cultural boundaries.

However, this commercial is surely an exception. While the ad repeats the obvious double-entendre in every commercial, the campaign also pokes fun at certain aspects of life, including flash mobs and infidelity in relationships. The whole series of 11 ads keeps running for over 6 minutes, which may be too long (long) for some people. However, if you’re looking for laughs, this is just what you need.

5. Nike: China

Nike released this ad to mark the Chinese New Year 2020. The 90-second spot shows a young girl in various stages of her life into adulthood and desperately trying to avoid the “lucky money” that her aunt gives her every year.

The girl is shown running away from her aunt every year- often to comedic extremes. By the end of the ad, the little girl has turned into an adult and there’s a humorous role reversal. Not only is the ad funny but also the way Nike pitches its shoes is commendable.

Wrapping Up

And that was a wrap of today’s segment of #FunnyFridays. Although underrated, APAC commercials surely know how to elicit laughter from their audience.

We’ll be back with more hilarious commercials for you next week. Till then, stay tuned!