A view from Alex Player

From IKEA to Airbnb: the five best brand ad parodies

The saying 'imitation is the sincerest form of flattery' rings true not just in the case of products and services, but the way in which they are presented to us. The ads of high-profile brands are ripe for parody - whether the motivation is satire, mockery or, in some cases, even homage.

One way to gauge whether a campaign has made an impact (be it good or bad) is by the number of parodies it inspires. We have sifted through hundreds of funny send-ups to bring you the crème de la crème of ad parodies.

Specsavers parody of Lynx - Offical ad

Click here for original ad

Specsavers has never been accused of being short-sighted when it comes to topical ad campaigns, and the first video in this run-down is a great example of how it can imitate a well-known ad, add a splash of sight-related humour and come out with a winner. 





IKEA parody of Apple (Official)

Click here for original ad

With its simple, clean, easy to recongise style, chirpy music and enthusiastic developers speaking to camera, Apple is an easy target to parody. What makes this ad special was the fact that no one saw it coming – it was made by that Swedish dark horse, IKEA. 




David Beckham and James Corden's New Underwear Line

Click here for original ad

This 'sexy' ad starring David Beckham and comedian James Corden was created for a fictional underwear brand by CBS talk show The Late Late Show with James Corden. Although not a real ad, it plays on Brand Beckham and does a great job of imitating the generic style of many well-known underwear and perfume ads (you know the ones we mean).




Dove Real Beauty Sketches: #Balls

Click here for original ad

Dove is another brand that has proven an easy target for parodists. Similar to other brands in the personal care sector, Dove has opted to push the 'you are naturally beautiful' message in its campaigns, making it perhaps a little too easy to poke fun at.




Is Man… Kind ? (Parody on Airbnb ad)

Click here for original ad

The last one on our list is a parody of Airbnb's successful 'Is mankind?' campaign – although rather more disturbing than the original ad.




Bonus Apple Parody