YoGorilla ad campaign: Planet YoGo

In 1996, Planet YoGo turned a dessert snack into a cult classic. Created by Flying Gherkin Productions, the campaign leans into stop-motion chaos, sharp storytelling and cinematic parody. At the centre is YoGorilla, voiced by Paul Johnstone, chewing through a parade of villains and visual jokes at blockbuster speed. It's an ad that rewards repeat viewing.

It was part of a longer campaign featuring ads based on movies like Speed (1994), Cliffhanger (1993) and Mars Attacks! (1996). Here, villain Hans Doberman is a nod to Die Hard, while Planet YoGo references Planet Hollywood, which was backed by '90s action stars like Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Including the reptilian namesakes for Gordon Gecko (Wall Street) and Crocodile Dundee is an amusing touch.

These ads work when cut into 20–30 second episodes but are best viewed as a two-minute adventure. With their uniquely Aussie humour, skilful use of stop-motion puppetry, confident pacing and slick production values, they stood out from everything else on TV at the time. Blurring the line between commercial and animated short film, these ads proved advertising could be pure entertainment – without ever losing sight of the brand.