In the world of advertising, the line between heartfelt message and internet joke can be surprisingly thin. Sometimes, a commercial meant to tug at our heartstrings or inspire unity ends up becoming something else entirely: a meme. Whether it's due to extreme earnestness, a tone-deaf message, or simply a bizarre concept, these ads have secured their place in internet history. Here are the most famous cases where celebrity social campaigns became unforgettable memes.
🎭 The Classics of Meme-Worthy Social Advertising
Sarah McLachlan – ASPCA ("Angel")
This is the advertisement that launched a thousand memes about "extreme sadness" and the immediate channel change. If you watched television in the late 2000s, you remember it vividly: the somber piano notes of Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" begin to play, and images of sad-eyed, injured animals appear on screen.
The original ASPCA commercial became so iconic for its emotional manipulation that it spawned countless parodies. Watch the full commercial here:
Internet users began using it as the ultimate symbol of unexpected emotional devastation. "This video starts playing and suddenly I'm sobbing into my pillow," became a common sentiment. The meme persists because the ad is genuinely effective—so effective that viewers learned to dread its appearance. It represents the moment when sincere advocacy meets such intense emotional appeal that it becomes a cultural touchstone, referenced anytime something is heartbreakingly sad.
Gal Gadot and Famous Friends – "Imagine" (COVID-19)
In March 2020, as the world went into pandemic lockdown, Gal Gadot had an idea: gather celebrities to sing John Lennon's "Imagine" as a message of unity. The result? A video that "united the world in its hatred" due to the profound disconnect between wealthy celebrities and ordinary people facing a terrifying crisis.
The celebrity "Imagine" video features Gal Gadot, Kristen Wiig, Jamie Dornan, Labrinth, Sarah Silverman, and others singing from their beautiful homes. Watch the infamous video here:
The internet's response was swift and merciless. Memes flooded social media, with users editing the celebrities into increasingly ridiculous situations or pointing out the irony of millionaires singing about "no possessions" from their mansions.
What makes this ad a lasting meme is its perfect encapsulation of celebrity tone-deafness. It's become the go-to reference whenever famous people try to address serious issues without understanding the public's lived reality.
Kendall Jenner – Pepsi ("Live for Now")
Perhaps the most infamous ad in modern history, Kendall Jenner's 2017 Pepsi commercial attempted to show the brand bridging divides and bringing peace to protests. Instead, it became a masterclass in how NOT to handle social issues.
The full version of the Pepsi ad shows Jenner joining a protest, then approaching police officers and offering one a can of Pepsi—which is accepted as a peace-making gesture. Watch the complete ad here:
The ad was widely condemned for trivializing the Black Lives Matter movement and other social justice protests. It was pulled within 24 hours, but not before becoming one of the most mocked commercials ever created.
The memes wrote themselves: "When you're trying to solve systemic racism but you only have a Pepsi," "Kendall Jenner really thought she could end police brutality with a cold drink," and countless edited versions where she hands Pepsi to historical figures during major conflicts. The ad remains a permanent cautionary tale about appropriating social movements for commercial purposes.
Matthew McConaughey – Salesforce ("Team Earth")
Matthew McConaughey has built a career on his unique, mystical delivery—whether selling cars, recruiting for the University of Texas, or, in this case, promoting cloud computing. His 2022 Super Bowl ad for Salesforce, titled "Team Earth," features McConaughey as an astronaut floating through space with a tone so earnest and philosophical that it became instant meme fodder.
Watch the Salesforce Super Bowl ad with Matthew McConaughey here:
Many viewers compared it to his iconic Lincoln commercials, where he whispers enigmatic phrases while driving through a city at night. The internet quickly dubbed this "Astronaut McConaughey," creating memes that overlay his dialogue with increasingly absurd interpretations of what he might actually be selling.
"Is this Salesforce? Is it about the planet? Is he just happy to be in space?" became the running joke. The ad's beauty and sincerity are exactly what make it meme-worthy—it takes itself so seriously that audiences can't help but play along.
David Beckham – UNICEF (Tattoo Campaign)
Finally, we have a rare case where a genuinely powerful and acclaimed advertisement also became a viral meme—but for all the right reasons. David Beckham's campaign for UNICEF, raising awareness about violence against children, features his iconic tattoos coming to life to depict scenes of childhood suffering.
The UNICEF tattoo campaign with David Beckham is visually stunning and emotionally devastating. Watch it here:
As Beckham stands still, the tattoos on his body animate, showing children in distress—being bullied, caught in conflict, or suffering alone. The message is clear: these children carry these experiences forever, like permanent ink on their lives.
While the ad was widely praised and won numerous awards, it also became a meme due to its unexpected and surreal animation style. Viewers couldn't help but share their reactions: "I was not prepared for David Beckham's tattoos to start fighting each other," "This is the most intense thing I've ever seen on a celebrity's skin," and "Imagine getting a tattoo and it suddenly comes to life." The memes don't mock the message—they highlight the shock and awe of the execution, ultimately driving more attention to the cause.
Why These Ads Became Memes
What unites these five very different commercials is their ability to provoke a strong emotional response—just not always the one intended. Whether through extreme sadness, profound awkwardness, unintentional comedy, or surreal visuals, each ad crossed a threshold that demanded a reaction.
For marketers and nonprofits, these examples offer valuable lessons:
Authenticity matters: Audiences can instantly detect when a message is genuine versus when it's performative.
Know your audience: What resonates with celebrities may completely miss the mark with the public.
Emotion is powerful—but unpredictable: The same ad that makes one person cry can make another person laugh.
Virality is a double-edged sword: Even negative attention can amplify a message, but it comes at the cost of control.
In the end, these ads and their meme-ified afterlives remind us that in the internet age, nothing is truly owned by its creators. Once a video goes public, the audience takes over—and sometimes, they run in unexpected directions.
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