10 of the most memorable “so-bad-it’s-good” made-in-Singapore video ads

A lot of flak has been directed at two recent made-in-Singapore videos ads by the Singapore Tourism Board and Singtel respectively. If you haven’t seen them, the videos are available at the end of this post.

Are they really that bad?

Both went viral and were watched by tens or even hundreds of thousand people.

I would say they are “so-bad-it’s-good” – captured for posterity and have much longer brand impact than the hundreds of mediocre video ads churned out daily which are forgotten by viewers the very next day.

I love video ads like these. A little laugh always work for me, even if it was not meant to be funny. These videos make great conversational pieces and are fun to share.

Here is a list of 10 of the most memorable “so-bad-it’s-good” made-in-Singapore video ads:

1. Mediacorp’s Mocca Muscle Man – the original muscle man with bad English:

2. Steven Lim’s Models + MP3 Promotion – this actually ran on our local television stations!:

3. EveriJob’s Massage Therapist Uncle on his Dream Job – yes, this is a copied ad, but it’s still fun to watch:

4. Phua Chu Kang teaches Singapore how to prevent SARS – I can’t get this horrible rap out of my head, even today:

5. Singapore Armed Forces’ Be A Man – inspiring or just making fun of campy (pun intended) folks?:

6. Subway’s Eating Fresh – Singlish fail:

7. Osim’s iGallop with Ix Shen and Jaclyn Tay – it’s two artistes riding on a fake horse, need I say more?:

8. London Weight Management’s Suicidal Fat Lady’s True Story – so sad it’s funny:

9. Singtel’s mRemit Bouncing Male Boobs – boobs sell, males’ too:

10. Singapore Tourism Board’s Cheesy Love Couple – Unhygienic and a little old school: