The Most Annoyingly Memorable Commercials in Recent Years

We’ve all come across some ridiculous commercials that make us laugh, stop and watch, or want to throw the TV out the window. The worst part? We can’t seem to get their annoying taglines or jingles out of our heads. And as much as we hate to admit it, it’s good marketing. Check out some TV’s most annoyingly memorable commercials over the past couple of years.

Sun Drop

Who can forget the oddly-dressed white girl who “dropped it like it’s hot” with just one sip of fizzling Sun Drop soda? She’s backin’ it up through the strangest places: traffic, yoga class, even a fishing trip! The commercial spurred countless more parodies on YouTube; the most favorite was a remake that featured a woman bustin’ a move in a traditional African garment.

Old Spice Guy

The guy that every man despises: The Old Spice Man. He asks you, with his deep masculine voice, to look at your man and then look back at him — and you begin to notice his washboard flat abs and toned biceps. “Sadly, he isn’t me,” he adds. This commercial topped YouTube’s most-watched ads last year and became one of the most talked about campaigns in the history of advertising. And I don’t think any woman is complaining about Isaiah “Old Spice Man” Mustafa remaining ingrained in their memory. “I’m on a horse.”

The AT&T Guy With the Kids

A monotone and suited AT&T rep sits his adult-behind on a kids stool surrounded by four or five youngsters—this scene is bizarre before the commercial even begins. He asks questions, with stoic attitude, like “What’s better: faster or slower?” or “What’s better: more or less?” Kids say the darnedest things! With silly answers ranging from “puppy brothers” and “If we really like it, we want more,” we can’t help laugh at their innocence.

Optimum Triple Play

It’s the phone number you’ve never forgotten: “877-393-4448!” This commercial was an awful hodge-podge of pirates, mermaids, lifeguards and Reggaeton. It was great the first time we saw it—not so much the 500 other times it played on our television screens. Leaping for the remote to change the channel was a norm in American households when this ad came on. We’re so glad the hype over this commercial is over!

JustFab Shoes

Don’t worry. You weren’t the only one that was alarmed about what was playing on your TV when this commercial came on. “Oh! Do it again girl! Wow!” You rush over to see what’s going on and it’s two women on a laptop moaning and wailing — over shoes. Really? Now did you really need to do all of that for a pair of shoes? Due to repetition, not quality, we just can’t get this awful ad out of our heads.

KFC Original Boneless Chicken: “I Ate the Bones!”

With the plate only containing crumbs, various characters in these commercial spots are horrified that the chicken-muncher must’ve eaten the bones. It’s a smart tagline. It makes you want to get yourself some KFC Original Recipe Boneless chicken, too — just so you can shout “I ate the bones!”

K-Mart’s ‘Yo Mama’

“Yo mama so fiscally responsible, she got aaaallll that on free layaway,” a girl jokes in the schoolyard. K-mart flipped Yo Mama jokes to make them compliments rather than insults. However, some weren’t too pleased with the commercial saying that it perpetuates stereotypes and what not. But isn’t being fiscally responsible a good thing? Anyway, with a bit of laughter and controversy, this commercial will be hard to forget.

Geico Squealing Pig

“Weee! We-Weee!” Oh no! Turn it off! Nothing good can come from a commercial that features a squealing pig holding a tiny pinwheel. For some reason, Geico decided to ditch the English (or is he Aussie?) green CGI Gecko and opt for a more irksome porker. The commercial gained so much fame that the squealing pig ringtone is now available for download. Clearly Geico won’t let us live this horrible ad down.

Flo from Progressive

There’s something about Flo that rubs us the wrong way. Is it the awful 1960’s hairstyle? Her extremely perky personality? The fact that she’s constantly trying to persuade us to get Progressive? We’re not sure, but we’re tired of seeing her.

Skittles Pox

Skittles has always been notorious for peculiar commercials. But this one in particular gives us the heebie jeebies. A girl pulls a Skittle Pox right out of this boy’s face, eats it, and is contaminated with the made-up illness as well. What? Why is this even a commercial? Nonetheless, Skittles did a good job — once again — at causing mass confusion but yet making the commercial stick in our minds.

Fish McBites

“Fishay Fishay!” Admit it, it’s a fun song! Sadly for the fast-food giant, the reviews for McDonald’s new Fish McBites have been quite disappointing. Fish McBites was pulled off the menu soon after. Just another example of the jingle being much better and catchier than the actual marketed product.

Cheerios Ad Featuring Biracial Girl

The representation of a cute biracial girl with interracial parents sparked nationwide controversy. The commercial reached its height in popularity as the media reported YouTube had to shut-down its comment section due to a wave of racist comments plaguing the page.  The commercial annoys us because its rise to fame stemmed from hate. But because Cheerios pushed the envelope in portraying underrepresented American families, this commercial will remain memorable for years to come.

 State Farm

“Can I get a hot tub?!” The commercials have successfully convinced many people that State Farm is a genie-like entity that will grant us our every wish—just by singing the jingle. “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there!” State Farm has beat out Nationwide and even Progressive in the top 10 insurance companies list. They must be doing something right.