Monster.com: When I Grow Up (1999)
This commercial for the job search engine Monster.com was an amazing satire that really makes you think. Kids talk about what they want to be when they grow up, which traditionally means they discuss being firefighters, astronauts, and ballerinas.
But in this ad, the kids discuss that all they want to do in life when they grow up is sit at a desk and file paperwork. That’s their dream.
To the millions of Americans watching this ad who actually have boring desk jobs, this ad definitely makes you think about your own job and what you wanted to be when you grew up. Monster.com is inviting people to get out there and follow their dreams — and use their product to do it.
Quite simply, this commercial’s call to action is one of the best that’s ever aired in a Super Bowl commercial.
E-Trade: Monkey (2000)
Animals in commercials are always guaranteed to grab the attention of the consumer, and when there is an effective message and call to action behind it it’s a recipe for success.
A monkey is dancing in an E-Trade t-shirt with two grandpas sitting on either side of the monkey, while “La Cucaracha” plays in the background.
It doesn’t make sense at first, so the viewer’s attention is grabbed as they search for the punchline.
Then the company says that they wasted $2 million and asked the consumer what they’re doing with their own money. They then invited the consumer to use the E-Trade investing site so that they don’t make the same mistakes the company did.
The funny thing is, that $2 million probably wasn’t even wasted as E-Trade surely gained many a customer after airing this commercial.
