1. Crest Toothpaste’s Cavity Creeps
The “Cavity Creeps” commercials for Crest toothpaste looked like something out of a Saturday morning cartoon fever dream. These creepy gray rock monsters chanted “We make holes in teeth!” as they tried to destroy a cartoon city, while the Crest team swooped in to save the day. As a kid, it was a mix of funny and frightening, because who thought a toothbrush could be an action hero? The over-the-top drama was meant to get kids to brush, but it also made dental hygiene feel like a battle against monsters.
Looking back now, it feels bizarre that toothpaste was marketed like an epic war movie. Instead of a calm reminder to keep cavities away, kids were being told that terrifying, chanting monsters were coming for them if they skipped brushing. The commercials became unforgettable, partly because they were so unnerving. Even today, the phrase “We make holes in teeth” feels more suited for a horror movie tagline than a toothpaste ad.
2. Quiznos Spongmonkeys
The Quiznos subs commercials from the ’80s featuring Spongmonkeys are among the most jarring ads people remember. These creatures, with their bulging eyes and screechy voices, sang about loving subs in the most chaotic way possible. The animation was crude, and the characters themselves looked like they had crawled out of someone’s nightmare. They were meant to be funny and quirky, but most viewers were just left deeply confused.
Even stranger, the song was oddly catchy, and that meant it stuck in your head long after the ad ended. Parents complained, kids laughed nervously, and everyone had an opinion on whether it was brilliant or just plain disturbing. It didn’t necessarily make you crave a sandwich, but it made sure you never forgot the Quiznos name. To this day, the Spongmonkeys are still referenced as one of the weirdest ad campaigns ever.
3. McDonald’s Mac Tonight
McDonald’s introduced “Mac Tonight,” a jazzy character with a crescent moon for a head, to sell their dinner menu. He wore sunglasses, played piano, and crooned about Big Macs under the stars. At the time, it was supposed to be a smooth, cool way to lure adults in after dark. But for kids, this moon-headed man was more nightmare fuel than dinner inspiration.
The design was so strange that people either loved him or were terrified by him. His oversized moon face looked surreal, especially paired with his human hands and tuxedo. Somehow, the bizarre combination worked well enough to keep him in commercials for years. Watching now, though, it feels like a surreal art project gone too far, proving that fast food mascots in the ’80s weren’t afraid to get weird.
4. The California Raisins
The California Raisins became pop culture icons with their claymation commercials singing “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.” The idea of raisins crooning Motown classics was both charming and incredibly odd. The animation gave them soulful expressions, but at the end of the day, you were still looking at dried fruit trying to sell more dried fruit. It’s the kind of concept that would never fly today.
They became so popular that the commercials spun off into toys, albums, and even a holiday special. The strangeness of it all is what made it memorable. You couldn’t decide if they were cool musicians or just deeply unsettling little figures. Either way, the Raisins made their mark, proving that even something as boring as a raisin could become an ’80s superstar.
5. Charmin’s Mr. Whipple
“Please don’t squeeze the Charmin!” became one of the most repeated lines in advertising, thanks to Mr. Whipple. The concept was simple: a grocery store manager scolding customers for squeezing toilet paper, only to sneakily squeeze it himself when no one was looking. It was meant to be funny and relatable, but watching it today feels strangely awkward. After all, who actually fondles toilet paper in public?
The ads ran for years, making Mr. Whipple a household name. Still, the image of people obsessively squeezing rolls of bathroom tissue feels oddly intimate for a TV pitch. There’s a reason toilet paper commercials eventually shifted to cuddly bears—it just feels less weird. Mr. Whipple, though, will always be remembered for taking product obsession to uncomfortable levels.
6. Pepsi’s Michael Jackson Ad
Pepsi landed a huge moment in the ’80s when Michael Jackson appeared in their commercials. With a rewritten version of “Billie Jean,” kids danced in the streets, and Jackson himself appeared as the ultimate Pepsi fan. The ad was flashy, cool, and unforgettable, but also strange in hindsight. It was basically a mini-music video designed to get you to drink soda.
Of course, the campaign became infamous when Jackson’s hair caught fire while filming one of the spots, adding another layer of weird history to it. The mix of pop superstardom and soft drink marketing felt surreal even back then. Pepsi wasn’t just selling soda, it was trying to sell coolness itself. And while the ads worked, the whole spectacle is still one of the strangest crossovers of music and marketing.
7. Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?”
Wendy’s introduced the world to a tiny elderly woman demanding, “Where’s the beef?” in commercials that quickly became a national catchphrase. The ads were funny, but they were also kind of odd when you think about it. Using a grumpy older lady to mock competitors’ burgers was a bold choice, and her delivery made the line iconic. Still, the whole setup of three old women arguing over hamburger buns was pretty unusual.
The campaign became so popular that it spilled over into politics and everyday conversations. People repeated the line constantly, even if they had no interest in Wendy’s. Looking back, the surreal humor of the ad is what made it stick. It’s a perfect example of how a commercial can be both silly and strangely effective.
8. Folgers’ “Peter Comes Home”
Folgers ran a commercial about a son named Peter coming home for Christmas and waking his family up with freshly brewed coffee. At first glance, it’s heartwarming, but it also had a strangely intense tone. Peter sneaking into the kitchen to make coffee while his family sleeps feels more like a movie scene than a coffee ad. The dramatic music and close-ups only added to the surreal quality.
The commercial became a holiday staple for years, even though it was unusually serious for selling coffee. It made people emotional, but also left them wondering why Peter didn’t just knock on the door instead of surprising everyone with a coffee pot. The mix of sentiment and awkward staging made it unforgettable. Even today, it gets referenced as one of the strangest “heartwarming” commercials ever.
9. Hefty Garbage Bags’ “Hefty Hefty Cinch Sak”
Hefty’s garbage bag ads in the ’80s featured people chanting “Hefty! Hefty! Hefty!” with over-the-top enthusiasm, while their competition was dismissed with a sad “Wimpy, wimpy, wimpy.” The intensity of the chants made it sound like fans cheering at a sports game. For a commercial about trash bags, it was a strangely aggressive approach.
The ads made garbage bags feel like a battle between strength and weakness. They were fun to watch but also a little unsettling in their intensity. Did anyone really feel that passionate about garbage bags? Apparently, in the ’80s, they did. The chant stuck in people’s heads, making it one of the weirdest but most effective commercials of its time.
10. Isuzu’s Joe Isuzu
Joe Isuzu became famous for lying through his teeth in commercials, bragging about outrageous car features that weren’t true. Played by actor David Leisure, Joe would smirk as he delivered lines about cars that could practically fly or save you a fortune. The joke was that he was clearly lying, but you were supposed to laugh and remember Isuzu anyway. It was clever but also strange for a car ad.
Usually, car commercials are about trust, reliability, and sleek style. Isuzu instead leaned into dishonesty as its brand personality, which felt bizarre. Somehow, it worked, because Joe Isuzu became a pop culture figure. Still, looking back, it’s shocking that a campaign built on lying was the way a company sold cars in the ’80s.
11. Domino’s Noid
The Noid was Domino’s strange animated villain who tried to ruin pizzas before they reached customers. Dressed in a red rabbit-eared suit, the Noid was loud, frantic, and completely bizarre. His only purpose was to make pizzas cold or soggy, while Domino’s promised they’d deliver hot and fresh to “avoid the Noid.” For a pizza mascot, he was both funny and unsettling.
The character became so recognizable that Domino’s built video games and merchandise around him. Yet the Noid was also too strange to last forever. The idea that a weird little villain lived to sabotage your dinner was both hilarious and creepy. Today, the Noid stands as one of the most unusual fast food mascots to ever exist.
12. Tang’s Orangutan Spokesanimal
Tang commercials in the ’80s often featured an orangutan guzzling the powdered orange drink, sometimes even dressed up in human clothes. It was supposed to be playful and fun, but it always looked more unsettling than appealing. Watching a primate down a sugary orange beverage in a kitchen setting felt surreal. The ad seemed more about the animal than the drink itself.
Animal commercials were common in the ’80s, but Tang’s orangutan stood out for being particularly odd. The messy drinking and exaggerated reactions made the product seem secondary to the spectacle. For kids, it was memorable, but for adults, it was undeniably weird. Looking back, it feels like a relic of a time when advertisers would try almost anything to make a product stand out.
