1. The Oozinator (2006)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdAIt4MgnHc Testament to the power of the internet, the Oozinator campaign received only a limited release in 2006, but has since found a wider audience after going viral online. Oddly, the millions of online views it received did not translate to actual Oozinator sales, and it has since been discontinued. But it endures as a cult classic. From this, we can only divine that its popularity is more due to the artfulness of its commercial, than interest in the product itself. It is executed well enough. It is competently shot, lit and edited. Its child performances are notable for their portrayal of ecstasy, as they wildly pull their pumps and ooze on each other. The commercials real money shot portrays a young boy receiving a mouthful of globule and uttering, with a certain authenticity: BLERRRRRRRRGH!. But while it succeeds on these levels, explaining the commercials popularity is nonetheless challenging. Returning to the traditional, almost quaint, 30-second format for toy commercials, it is in many ways a straightforward, routine advertisement- a series of shots of the toy in action, culminating in a pack shot showcasing the product and its logo. Nonetheless, that the commercial be so seminal, and its product such a failure is testament to the fact that some people just really love watching ads.