History HilariousInHindsight / Advertising

* In 2002, Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} ran a parody of ''WesternAnimation/FrostyTheSnowman'' with [[WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants Patrick Star]] playing the snowman. Three years later, ''The Legend of Frosty the Snowman'' comes out with Bill Fagerbakke, Patrick's voice actor, playing Frosty.

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRValgHDvxE A Singaporean ad]] about problem gambling which airs on [[WorldCup 2014 FIFA World Cup]] shows a group of children discussing who would win. It then cuts to a depressing shot of a sad young boy hoping for Germany to win, as his dad bet all of his son's savings on them. Well, depressing until hours later, when [[CurbStompBattle Germany beat Brazil 7-1]], and eventually winning the whole thing.

* Creator/SarahMichelleGellar did an ad for BurgerKing complaining that rivals do not have as much meat, she was about six at the time. Today [[PetitePride she has less meat]] than some girls at the same age she did the ad.

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRValgHDvxE A Singaporean ad]] for the [[WorldCup 2014 FIFA World Cup]] shows a group of children discussing who would win. It then cuts to a depressing shot of a sad young boy hoping for Germany to win, as his dad bet all of his son's savings on them. Well, depressing until a month later, when [[CurbStompBattle Germany beat Brazil 7-1]], and eventually winning the whole thing.

** The Game Gear commercials poked fun at the GameBoy's graphical limitations. Everyone forgot about the GameGear's existence before Nintendo even announced the GameBoyColor.

** "Genesis does what Nintendon't" doesn't mean anything anymore now that the Wii's VirtualConsole service has Genesis games. A few years later, the Nintendo3DS is announced to have plans for GameGear games on its own VirtualConsole in addition to GameBoy and GameBoyColor games, furthering the effect.

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRValgHDvxE A Singaporean ad]] for the [[WorldCup 2014 FIFA World Cup]] shows a group of children discussing who would win. It then cuts to a depressing shot of a sad young boy hoping for Germany to win, as his dad bet all of his son's savings on them. Well, depressing until a month later, when [[CurbStompBattle Germany beat Brazil 7-1]].

* In a Dutch ad for distance education service LOI, well-known lawyer Bram Mozkowicz is involved in a - very minor - traffic collision, and is stunned by the other party's legal knowledge. In 2014, an automobile police chase in Amsterdam came to an abrupt halt when the perpetrator's car crashed into Mozkowicz's Aston Martin, with Mozkowicz inside. (Thankfully, nobody was hurt.)

** Also, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCQRcinZYH8 one infamous Sega CD commercial]] has become this. "You still don't have a Sega CD? What are you waiting for, [[GameCube Nintendo]] [[{{Wii}} to make]] [[WiiU one?!]]" Nintendo was actually the last console maker to get into using [=CDs=], with the Gamecube, and even then didn't use proper, full sized [=CDs=] until the ''Wii''.

* It is generally quite hard to deliberately engineer a HilariousInHindsight moment, as it's all too easy to be offensive or to simply pander to an obvious in-joke. For a master class in doing it right, step forward the late, great British comedian Bob Monkhouse. Four years after his death in 2003, with thanks to modern digital wizardry, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmWtzfKcMpA&feature=channel_page he appeared on television in an advert suggesting the wisdom of being tested for prostate cancer]], cracking jokes about it being an even bigger killer of men 'than (his) wife's cooking!' so that the viewer doesn't end up 'as (he) did' - spoken while appearing standing beside his own ''actual'' tomb-stone.

* At the time it aired, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w61vieuH1kw a [=McDonald=]'s commercial]] featuring N'Sync and Music/BritneySpears playing "spin the bottle" had a rather light-hearted punchline, whereby the bottle stops on Justin Timberlake, not Britney. A few years later, Lance Bass came out as gay, and it gives the ad a whole new meaning.

** Also, the rivals in Gellar's Burger King commercials included [=McDonalds=]. Thirty years later, Gellar would play an advertising executive on ''TheCrazyOnes''. Guess who [[UsefulNotes/McDonalds their first client]] was.

* Creator/SarahMichelleGellar did an ad for BurgerKing complaining that rivals do not have as much meat, she was about six at the time. Today [[PetitePride she has less meat]] than some girls at the same age she did the ad.

* After an ''Encyclopedia Britannica'' [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO2D_sxXAWM commercial]] had its run, they decided to make [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxwin9XFbnQ a direct follow-up to it]]. And the very first line said was, "[[MetroidOtherM Remember me?]]" To add, both were made by StanFreberg, who was the voiceover talent. The onscreen talent? Freberg's son.
* The "LexLuthor [[MemeticMutation stole]] [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/40cakes_4996.jpg forty cakes]]" meme takes a new meaning with an UK advert for Innocent Smoothies, and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hd_BmPfxIo&feature=player_detailpage#t=47s the bakery's name]].

* Sony started a line of TakeThat posters towards Microsoft after noticing the poor reception following the XboxOne's initial reveal. One of these claimed "The only red ring is the circle button," a jab at the {{Xbox 360}}'s infamous Red Ring of Death issue. Launch day arrives, and... [[http://www.gamezone.com/news/2013/11/15/new-claims-of-ps4-s-red-line-of-death-beginning-to-pop-up Well, let's just say things couldn't be more ironic.]]

* The Brazilian arm of Fiat made [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERDj5OKH0eI an ad]] related to the 2013 Confederations Cup, entitled "Come to the Street", described as "the biggest bleacher of Brazil". Given that at the same time [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_protests_in_Brazil huge protests emerged in the country]], the revolted people embraced it as an anthem. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3lCMiUAJ90 "Come to the Street"]] became their motto (along with "The Giant Awoke", taken from [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLU95q0BgQA a Johnnie Walker ad]]) and was stamped and sung everywhere.

* In some old Windows 95 commercials (such as [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw-GGT6900s this one here]]), Microsoft used a 2 by 2 grid of squares that were colored the same way as the Windows flag in order to demonstrate certain features, though it wasn't their official logo. 17 years later, Windows 8 shows up with a more tablet-oriented UI. [[http://i.s-microsoft.com/global/ImageStore/PublishingImages/logos/hp/logo-lg-1x.png Guess what their logo turns into?]]

![[AC:Commercials]]

%% * DavidKaye. ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' Megatron. Enzyte commercial announcer. Enzyte was charged with fraud.

* In the famous Sega CD commercial from the early 90s, the guy in the TV says, "What are you waiting for, Nintendo to make one?" Nintendo was actually the last console maker to get into using [=CDs=], with the Gamecube, and even then didn't use proper, full sized [=CDs=] until the ''Wii''.

* In the famous Sega CD commercial from the early 90s, the guy in the TV says, "What are you waiting for, Nintendo to make one?" Nintendo was actually the last console maker to get into using CDs, with the Gamecube, and even then didn't use proper, full sized CDs until the ''Wii''.

* In the famous Sega CD commercial from the early 90s, the guy in the TV says, "What are you waiting for, Nintendo to make one?" Nintendo was actually the last console maker to get into using CDs, with the Gamecube, and even then didn't use proper, full sized CDs until the ''Wii''.

* [[http://responsiblemarketing.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/camel-moredoctors.jpg More doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette]]

* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ2N0kZgOXY This 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid ad mocking the Toyota Prius "Yes" campaign]] is hilarious enough on its own, but not long afterwards, Honda reintroduced their Insight hybrid as a five-door hatchback which looked a hell of a lot like the car they were making fun of before.

* Back when Enron was viewed as a thriving corporation, they released a series of commercials with the theme [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pboh1SFk6TM "Ask Why?"]] Years later when Enron suddenly went Bankrupt shocking the country, the United States government asked them why? They got their answer when they discovered years of corporate fraud.

* Back when Enron was viewed as a thriving corporation, they released a series of commercials with the theme "Ask Why?" Years later when Enron suddenly went Bankrupt shocking the country, the United States government asked them why? They got their answer when they discovered years of corporate fraud.

* This 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid ad mocking the Toyota Prius "Yes" campaign (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJ2N0kZgOXY) is hilarious enough on its own, but not long afterwards, Honda reintroduced their Insight hybrid as a five-door hatchback which looked a hell of a lot like the car they were making fun of before.