Before social media, the 90s gave us baggy jeans, Blockbuster video rentals, annoying dial-up Internet sounds, and the thrill of trying to keep your Tamagotchi alive. It was also a decade of memorable ads with catchy taglines and incredibly weird moments that could only happen in the 90s. Whether you remember these when they first aired or you just love 90s nostalgia, it’s hard not to enjoy the craziest ads from the 90s.
Can’t get enough of the 90s? Enjoy a fun blast from the past with the weirdest and craziest ads from the 80s.
Dr. Pepper – What’s the Worst That Could Happen?
“What’s the worst that could happen” sounds like famous last words. In this crazy ad, Dr. Pepper gives us an answer to this classic question with a young Jesse Eisenberg. Simply reaching in a store refrigerator for a refreshing Dr. Pepper somehow leads to his clothes being cut off, his butt being exposed, and national media coverage of his ultimate humiliation. Dr. Pepper actually did a series of these, which you can watch in the compilation video above.
Budweiser – Wassup
If you were around in the 90s, you couldn’t escape this both catchy and grating tagline. From the moment Budweiser aired the Wassup ad, kids and adults couldn’t help shouting “wassup” to everyone they knew. The trend got old quickly, but that didn’t stop anyone from saying it. It became so popular, in fact, that Budweiser made other versions of it, including one with grandmas and even a remake of the original during Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. During the 90s, Budweiser also introduced us to the iconic Budweiser frogs.
PlayStation – Mental Wealth
The 90s has a way of showing ads that really had nothing to do with what was being sold. For instance, this incredibly weird 90s ad for PlayStation about “mental wealth.” With a little CGI help, the woman became known as “alien girl.” The entire ad is just the woman talking about the richness of personal experiences and everyone creating their own mental wealth through those experiences. Obviously, PlayStation meant for this to be about video games as enjoyable and memorable experiences, but all anyone really remembers is the creepy, yet adorable alien girl.
Guinness – Anticipation
While a nice cold Guinness at the end of a long day might make you get excited, Guinness created one of the craziest ads from the 90s with Anticipation. In fact, one might think the guy dancing around may have already had a few too many. The mambo music and completely random dance moves are a hilarious combination that feels like a 90s sitcom or music video. It’s silly, only loosely related to the product, and a joy to watch.
Reebok – Belly’s Gonna Get You
So far, the ads on this list haven’t been weird enough to make you jump on a treadmill out of sheer terror. But, Reebok should win an award for having one of the weirdest ads from the 90s with Belly’s Gonna Get You. Forget the ads today of attractive people working out and smiling as they run down a sunny street. No, Reebok gives you a reason to run as a literal belly chases a man through a city. You can’t forget that terrifying glob that kind of reminds you of cheesy 90s horror movies like Critters 4 and even Tremors.
Got Milk – The Original
Got Milk ads were everyone in the 90s. You couldn’t watch a show or open a magazine without seeing one. However, this is the ad that started it all. It was directed by action movie legend Michael Bay. Sean Whalen, who went on to play in major movies like Twister and Never Been Kissed, learns the hard way that you really should have a glass of milk to wash down your sandwich. In this crazy ad from the 90s, the poor man misses out on winning $10,000 on a radio show because the host can’t understand him with his mouth full. Sure, he could’ve just spit out the sandwich, but then it wouldn’t be a crazy, weird ad, right?
Mentos
Mentos started a cheesy trend with a series of ads focused on turning the worst situations into something positive. Odds are, if you grew up in the 90s, you or someone you knew did the quick turn around with a thumbs up and a silly grin that you only see in teen rom-coms. It’s hard to pick just one as all of them were weird and crazy, such as guy sitting on freshly painted park bench, rolling around, and creating a perfect pin stripe suit. So, just enjoy a compilation of 90s weirdness all thanks to Mentos.
Doritos 3D – Laundromat
Doritos has some of the best, yet craziest ads from the 90s. They were a little weird, totally unbelievable, and made for some great TV during commercial breaks. In this particular ad, Sean Hayes and his friend are eating Doritos 3D when Ali Landry walks into the laundromat. They try to impress her by doing tricks with their Doritos. To their surprise, she walks toward them, only to grab the snack, throw in a machine, and proceed to do some impossible stunts you’d only find in overly exaggerated, yet entertaining action movies, like The Matrix.
Good Humor – Ice Cream Man
Why couldn’t we all have an ice cream that raps and dances as he tosses frozen treats to customers? Good Humor thought the world needed more energetic ice cream men, so they gave us this crazy ad. Who knew ice cream could become such an energetic experience? It’s also a great ode to 90s music videos where bands and random people would suddenly just start marching down the street dancing together.
Slim Jim – Macho Man Randy Savage
Sure, the Kool-Aid man bursting through walls and saying “Oh Yeah!” is weird, but what’s even crazier is a man with a cowboy hat and spandex yelling “snap into a Slim Jim.” Macho Man Randy Savage helped make boring, frustrating situations instantly better by giving everyone a Slim Jim. With each “snap,” something would usually explode, like bookshelves in a library, ceiling fans, theater props, and much more. The entire ad campaign was crazy, ridiculous, and highly effective.
Stepping back into the 90s for a while is a great way to relax and forget about today’s stresses. Give yourself a 90s break with these great 90s anime and amazing martial arts movies.
