Top 20 Saturday Night Live Fake Ads

Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’re looking at the best pre-taped mock ads aired on “Saturday Night Live,” for both real and imagined products and companies. What SNL ad you always return to? Let us know in the comments!

#20: “Almost Pizza”

Have you ever looked closely at the packaging of some processed food and realized it features some rather specific phrasing? That’s basically the joke behind this ad parody. Kristen Wiig plays a mother who brings home something that is pretty much exactly like pizza. Only it explicitly isn’t. So, what is it? We’re not sure. But we do know that we love Bill Hader’s father’s journey from perplexed to horrified. Of course we’d be terrified if a piece of pizza shattered, regenerated, and then scurried under the fridge. Sorry, we mean, a piece of ‘Almost Pizza.’”

#19: “Happy Fun Ball”

Combining multiple kinds of distinctly different ads makes this an all-timer early 90s sketch. What starts off as a cheery ad for a toy turns much sinister when Phil Hartman’s narrator’s tone shifts from jubilant to deadly serious. It then becomes a list of unsettling warnings and side effects linked with this kids product. The idea of such a seemingly innocuous toy having such catastrophic potential is hysterical by itself. But the power of the late great Hartman’s voiceover work takes it even further. We think we’ll stay away from the Happy Fun Ball, though.

#18: “KCF Shredders”

If you don’t remember fast food commercials in the late 90s, this sums it up pretty well. It perfectly utilizes obnoxious editing and desperate pandering to youth culture to promote what else? Lettuce. Jimmy Fallon is the spitting image of a young, hip spokesperson for a bag full of lettuce and mayonnaise. And it gets even better when we learn about the Shredders version of a kids meal. Though fast food advertising has changed considerably since this parody first aired, it’s still a hilarious time capsule spoofing bygone marketing trends. Now, is anyone else hungry for some lettuce?

#17: “Wells for Boys”

Most toy commercials portray childhood as full of nothing but glee and excitement. But that’s not the case for everyone. This fake Fisher Price ad is for a product aimed at young boys who might feel a bit different from their peers. In the wrong hands, this premise could be mean-spirited. But instead, it’s a touching reminder of how important it is for kids to be embraced for who they are. Much of its success can also be attributed to Emma Stone’s outstanding work as a mother supporting her son. And what’s more, this sketch was directed by her future husband, Dave McCary.

#16: “Fast Fashion Ad”

Have you ever been clothes shopping online, found a link to a site with stylish looks for shockingly low prices, and then wondered, how? This sketch is for you. Talk about low prices and garment variety is soon overtaken by allusions to troubling business practices, with the models becoming decidedly less carefree as it goes on. Taking aim at both the fast fashion industry and the conflicted consumers who can’t quite bring themselves to not take advantage of the deals. Expertly blending satire with absurdist humor makes this one of “SNL’s” sharpest sketches in recent memory.

#15: “Blue River”

The first Blue River Dog Food sketch was a live bit featuring world-class work from Cecily Strong. The beloved cast member returns for this ad parody, playing a character with a different name, but with very similar insistence on only purchasing premium pet food. Confronting fellow shopper Heidi Gardner, she's the textbook busybody dog mom, refusing to listen to anything that contradicts her particular worldview. Host John Mulaney is also great as her immensely supportive hubby. But this is ultimately Strong's showcase, the kind of dedicated work that could some day earn her an Academy Award.

#14: “Colon Blow”

You might think that a sketch about a cereal called “Colon Blow” would be more vulgar than anything. But this one takes a crude premise and uses it as a goldmine not only for comedy, but also special effects ingenuity. Phil Hartman plays a man sitting down for breakfast who learns about an extremely high-fiber cereal. How high? This is illustrated by immaculate effects work that sees a pyramid of cereal bowls pushing Hartman to the the ceiling. Though it might be more than 30 years old, neither the effects nor the humor of this sketch have aged in the slightest.

#13: “Enhancement Drug”

Impotence can be a serious problem. But this sketch is seriously funny. Dwayne Johnson plays a man testifying about his experience with a sketchy male enhancement product. Of course, he doesn't see it that way, refusing to listen to Kyle Mooney’s doctor’s refusal to write him a prescription and taking matters into his own, incredibly strong hands. Johnson's ability to alternate between being earnest and threatening is fully on display here. Though he doesn’t play straight-up comedic roles as often as we wish he would. This sketch demonstrates how much he gives it his all whenever he hosts “SNL”

#12: “Dunkin Donuts”

Though Dunkin’ Donuts locations can be found throughout the world, they’re particularly associated with their home state of Massachusetts. In this very regional-specific commercial, a wholesome Dunkin’ ad is derailed by Casey Affleck as the world’s worst customer. Annoying and hassling staff and patrons alike, Affleck is fiercely committed to playing the kind of person you might not know personally, but have likely encountered, especially if you live in a certain New England city. Thankfully, most trips to Dunkin’ are nowhere near as chaotic as the ones featured in this hilarious and endlessly quotable sketch.

#11: “Totino's with Kristen Stewart”

The rare "SNL" commercial to become a recurring bit, the "Totino's" commercials feature amazing work from Vanessa Bayer as a woman trying to maintain an image of cheerful acceptance of her unsatisfying domestic life. But the absolute best is the third and final sketch. The arrival of Kristen Stewart's Sabine leaves Bayer's nameless woman practically at a loss for words. Soon, she's experiencing passion on a level she likely never has before. Turning a junk food commercial parody into an erotic art drama is absolutely not what we expected. But Bayer and Stewart’s chemistry makes us believe in love, and hungry for pizza rolls.

#10: Lincoln Car

Sometimes a well-written straight-up parody of an existing commercial is all you need to get a good laugh. Sometimes... having a comedic genius like Jim Carrey do a note for note imitation of Matthew McConaughey’s bizarre Lincoln auto commercials is enough to create a classic SNL segment. Veering only slightly from the style and script of these ominously prosaic car ads, Carrey and the SNL writers deliver a hilariously deadpan impersonation, which sees McConaughey asks himself life’s deepest questions - like what to do with a booger you are rolling around on your fingers.

#9: The Undecided Voters

The pre-election period is a busy time for “SNL”. While the show’s political humor is typically straightforward - utilizing news coverage and impersonations - they took a bit of a left turn with this public service announcement to attack those pesky undecided voters. And sure enough, the results were in their favor. As America was gearing up to vote for Obama a second time around, they took this politically-apathetic but self-serious demographic to task. The questions in this skit might seem ridiculous and exaggerated but honestly, don’t we all know someone like these sadly uninformed individuals?

#8: Annuale

Ever wonder what it would be like if your period wasn’t once a month, but instead condensed into one period of menstruation per year? No? Well, the SNL staff have thought about it, and they decided to turn it into a nightmare-inducing bit of advertising. With classic moments by Kristen Wiig and Tina Fey, the ladies in this video perfectly parody that terrible style of infomercial acting. That is until their periods hit, and we all just want to run for cover, screaming for our lives. The list of side effects at the end is the cherry on top, with bonus points going to Kristen Wiig for making out with a dog.

#7: United Way

Politicians and sports stars are not actors, and have often fallen a little flat on “SNL”. Peyton Manning however, has been called by many the funniest athlete to ever guest star on the show, and this sketch is valid proof. The United Way ad shows a more thuggish version of Manning as the absolute worst mentor a kid could ever ask for. His methods include bullying, hitting kids, giving them tattoos and of course teaching them how to break into a car. All said and done, it makes for one hilarious sendup to NFL mentorship videos.

#6: Dissing Your Dog

If you’ve ever raised a dog from puppyhood, you know how frustrating it can be. Like Will Ferrell, you likely tried all the usual tricks. But thanks to this amazing innovation, you too can now train your puppy with “mockery and verbal humiliation”. Featuring a 5-part video cassette series, this handy training manual teaches pet owners how to verbally abuse their pets into obedience and submission. These may seem like extreme methods, but seeing Will Ferrell calmly insult his dogs is immensely entertaining, even though we feel bad for laughing.

#5: The Love Toilet

An absolute classic of early 90s “SNL”, “The Love Toilet” started off as a seemingly classy little commercial until the introduction of the product in question - which is one we hope we never have to see in real life. We all know those couples who do absolutely everything together. You know… the ones that seemingly cannot spend so much as a second apart? Well, the Love Toilet enables those insufferable couples to remain attached at the hip, even at their most intimate moments. The romantic music-video aesthetic may feel like a bit much, but it really sells the absurdity of this product.

#4: Compulsion by Calvin Klein

In season 40, SNL knocked it out of the park with this #mycalvins parody, in which Kate McKinnon delivered a spot-on and seriously funny Justin Bieber impersonation. However, this wasn’t the first time that the SNL team used Calvin Klein as inspiration for comedic gold. In their 13th season, they produced a classic and hilarious parody of the famous Calvin Klein Obsession ads. It featured the late-great Jan Hooks as a compulsive cleaner who finds better uses for her cologne on her very white walls. OCD has never looked this classy.

#3: Taco Town

Fast food: though most of us partake of it from time to time, when visiting one of these fine establishments, it can be hard not to do a double take at some of the menu items. The bigger the better, right? Proving that one can have too much of a good thing, this ad pushes over-the-top fast food to the extreme. Though Bill Hader, Jason Sudeikis and Andy Samberg seem relatively excited about these upgraded tacos, with every layer of added food, the ad pushes further into the realm of the absurd. By the end, eating one of these monstrosities is all but impossible. A tasty bit of satire… this SNL ad never gets old!

#2: Mom Jeans

Taking bad fashion to task, this ad for “Mom” style jeans tells it like it is. This unfortunately cut, deeply unflattering and yet seemingly timeless style of jeans does not look good on anyone, and yet, for generations, they’ve somehow found their way into the wardrobes of mothers around the globe. It’s weird, but we’ve all just learned to accept them. Seeing the likes of Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph strutting their stuff and seemingly having a ball in these high-waisted wonders however, is almost too much to handle. On point both as comedy and light-hearted commentary, this ad almost makes us want to give mom jeans a try. Just kidding.

#1: Schmitts Gay Beer

Over its many decades of service making people laugh, SNL has also made a habit of pushing the boundaries. Back in 1991, you can bet that this fantastic takedown of heteronormative beer advertising got some strong reactions from viewers. In a classic setup, Adam Sandler and Chris Farley play two house sitting bros clearly looking to throw a party. When all their dreams come true however, the bikini-clad girls that typically populate beer ads are nowhere to be seen, and are instead replaced by banana-hammock wearing beefcakes. The critique of nonsense wish-fulfillment beer advertising is fantastically on-point, and the curveball remains hilariously relevant, even today.