Some commercials, maybe even most commercials, are easy to ignore. We've seen the same sales pitches over and over and over again, and it's become increasingly difficult to hold our attention, especially in a fast-paced world where nobody has the patience for ads anymore. But sometimes, a commercial transcends its genre and becomes legitimate entertainment. It helps if a bona fide celebrity is involved, and if these ads with celebrities are laugh-out-loud funny, even unexpectedly so.
Here are 30 of our favorite celebrity commercials from music, sports, TV and the movies, showing off their comedic chops. We don't always care what they're pitching us, but we're happy to laugh at their one-liners. So read on, and enjoy!
1 | Gordon Ramsay, Anthony Hopkins, Rebel Wilson — Amazon
When the voice behind Amazon's Alexa breaks down, it's replaced with some major star talent. The only problem is, they're considerably less patient than the original Alexa. Gordon Ramsay scolds someone for not knowing how to make grilled cheese, Cardi B laughs over a question about Mars ("This guy want to go to Mars! There's not even oxygen there!") and Anthony Hopkins, well, he's just plain creepy.
2 | Danny Trejo, the Brady Bunch, and Steve Buscemi — Snickers
If you always wished that the Brady Bunch had more growling ex-cons brandishing axes, this celebrity commercial finally makes things right. Also, Buscemi saying "Marsha Marsha Marsha" like a pouty Cindy Brady, is probably the funniest thing we've ever seen.
3 | Ozzy Osbourne and Justin Bieber — Best Buy
So much to love about this commercial, from Ozzy Osbourne barking, "Don't touch my hair, man," to Bieber doing a funky robot dance. You have to watch to the end, where a very confused Prince of Darkness mutters, "What...is a Bieber?"
4 | Jennifer Aniston — Smartwater
There's no formula for a video going viral, which Aniston learns here the hard way. We love this commercial just for the Friends star complaining, "No dirty dancing, babies!" Even Jennifer Aniston can make water look chic and luxurious.
5 | Christopher Walken — Kia
We gotta tell you, if we ever opened our closet to find Christopher Walken with socks on his hands, demanding that we find footwear with more "pizzaaaaazz" and asking "Do you want to be devoured?", we would not hang around long enough to hear the rest of his pitch.
6 | Sofia Vergara — K-Mart
The Modern Family star just wants clothes that are "va-va-voomier." We're pretty sure she just invented a new word.
7 | Stephen Colbert — Wonderful Pistachios
This Super Bowl commercial from 2014 doesn't necessarily give us a hankering for pistachios as much as it makes us nostalgic for when Stephen Colbert was still playing the fictional blowhard "Stephen Colbert" on Comedy Central. It's weird how much we miss that guy.
8 | Mr. Bean — Snickers
There's really nothing to prepare you for watching Mr. Bean riding some nunchucks like a pony. And that's the leastinsane thing about this commercial.
9 | Ryan Reynolds — Hyundai
The Deadpool actor manages to be hilarious even when he's being touted for his sex appeal. In a fictional world called Ryanville, where everybody looks like Ryan Reynolds, friendly games of touch football can get aggressive. When Ryan knocks another Ryan to the ground, he shouts "In my face!" It almost makes us wish this concept was expanded to a full and very weird feature film.
10 | Scarlett Johansson — Soda Stream
"Like most actors, my real job is saving the world," Scarlett tells us (with a straight face) before doing her best to make her commercial go viral. But the real star here is the voiceover, a Barry White imitation that cheers Scarlett on with cries of "Yaaah, you're doin' it, you're changing the world, one sip at a tiiiiime."
11 | Ellen DeGeneres — Beats Music
We didn't think "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" needed a revamp, but apparently we were wrong. In this version, Goldilocks just wants some danceable tunes, and so, apparently, do the anthropomorphic beasts. "And they all danced happily ever after."
12 | Bruce Willis and Fred Armisen — Honda
The giddy smile on Fred Armisen's face as he gives the action star a long, lingering hug, even refusing to release his grip when Willis tells him "you can let go now," makes this one of our favorite ads ever.
13 | John Hodgman and Justin Long — Apple
It was such a simple concept: Two guys, one representing an old PC and the other a modern, hip Mac, making wisecracks to each other. It helped that the two guys were The Daily Show correspondent John Hodgman and actor Justin Long. Their charming, often slapstick-filled exchanges were like mini-one act plays.
14 | Matt Damon and Mindy Kaling — Nationwide
Always make sure you're actually invisible before trying to smellMatt Damon's head. An important lesson!
15 | Arnold Schwarzenegger — Alinamin
We're not sure what reaction they were going for in this commercial, but a laughing Arnold Schwarzenegger bursting out of a bottle like some demented genie, and then showering us with gold coins while screaming in Japanese does not make us particularly enthused about whatever it is they're selling. It's weird and hilarious, though.
16 | Tim Duncan and Derrick Rose — Foot Locker
Two of the least effusive players in NBA history join forces to let their lack of noticeable excitement shine in one of the funniest celebrity commercials to date. Tim Duncan, formerly of the San Antonio Spurs, steals the show with his monotone delivery of "I'm bouncing off the walls." After he claims to have knocked over a plant celebrating, he gently places the plant on its side. It's comedy gold.
17 | Justin Timberlake – Pepsi
Is it wrong that we kinda loved the "Sexy Back" singer being dragged through a city for reasons that aren't entirely clear? "Every sip gets you closer," the voice over tells us. To...Timberlake getting hit by trucks and dragged across lawns? Oookay. Whatever, we just enjoyed the mailbox part.
18 | Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno — Acura
Listen, if Jerry Seinfeld offers you the Soup Nazi and a dancing holographic monkey in exchange for getting a new car a little sooner, you take the deal. What is wrong with you people? See, that's why there's no soup for you.
19 | Selena Gomez — UNICEF
You may actually spit water out of your mouth after seeing Gomez pour water on what she thinks is an adorable cartoon bluebird. "Selena Tap," the voiceover tells us. "It's just like your water, but you can feed imaginary cartoon birds with it."
20 | One Direction and Drew Brees — Pepsi
We had no idea the Saints quarterback would give it all up to join a boy band. But wait till you hear his real voice at the end. Yeah, maybe he shouldn't be quitting his day job just yet.
21 | Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Bob Odenkirk — Samsung
Two comedy superstars try to figure out who Samsung really wants for their "Next Big Thing" campaign. In their pitch session (with Better Call Saul's Odenkirk), they're forced to consider some difficult career questions: "You would wear a diaper for Samsung, right?" Well, guys? We're waiting.
22 | Taylor Swift — Apple Music
If there's something more satisfying and laugh out loud hilarious than Taylor Swift face-planting on a treadmill cause she's rocking out too hard, we'd like to see it.
23 | Nicolas Cage — Sankyo Pachinko
If you even try to tell us that this Japanese ad for pachinko machines starring Nicholas Cage in a cowboy hat doing a jig with silver robots in the desert isn't one of the great celebrity commercials and pieces of bizarro art ever created by the human species, well, we're just going to have to respectfully disagree.
24 | Chris Pratt — Michelob ULTRA
How much work is the Guardians of the Galaxy star willing to put into preparing for his Michelob commercial? Let's just say it involves very, very tiny weights. (Hey, those bottles can be heavy.)
25 | Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and Kevin Hart — MTV VMA's
Comedian Kevin Hart decides that he and Kanye and Kim are the new "It" couple. Yes, all three of them. The only thing they're missing is a name. Will it be YeKimKev, or KevYeKim, or something a little more dangerous? For the first time ever, Kanye West is the sanest person in a room in one of the funniest celebrity commercials to ever air.
26 | Billy Dee Williams — Colt 45
Who knew Lando Calrissian selling beer could be so simultaneously sexy and funny? Maybe it's not that surprising, since Billy Dee is a master of exuding seductive-yet-silly charm. Could anybody else on the planet wear a sweater and open numerous cans of beer and make it smolder so much?
27 | David Bowie — Vittel Mineral Water
It's hilarious enough to imagine the late David Bowieliving in a house with all of his musical alter egos — Ziggy Stardust, Thin White Duke, Halloween Jack — but then at the end, when Bowie leaves and puts a finger over his lips, like he's asking us not to spill his secrets, it's hard not to wonder, "Wait, has David Bowie kidnapped all the other David Bowies? Are they all hostages now?" We don't get it either, but it's deliciously and hilariously weird.
28 | Justin Bieber — Macy's
Poor Bieber can't go anywhere without grown men screaming like excited teenager girls. It almost makes us feel bad for him. Wait, never mind, no, he's still the worst.
29 | Will Ferrell — Bud Light
Everything Ferrell does makes us laugh till our sides hurt, but put him in a fake afro and give him lines like "Drink Bud Light or I'll kill you with the wrong end of a basketball," and we may just think we're in comedy heaven.
30 | Katy Perry — Citi
Katy Perry gets ready for the worst concert of her life, with impracticable wardrobe changes and lights that shine in her eyes "at the worst possible time." The way she smiles and says "perfect" kills us every time.
It turns out, celebrities are suited to playing characters on T.V. because the characters they play in real life are, well, pretty weird too.
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