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Adverts... they power TV land, pay Simon Cowell his big bucks, and, more importantly, make us laugh – often more successfully than the shows they appear between.

Now here at Asylum we love a good advert, and as 2008's batch were such a good crop (remember Brains from Thunderbirds dancing?, and That german VW guy kicking arse?) we thought we better give 2009 a once over too, and rest assured, there were some absolute crackers.

So here's our collection of the finest, wittiest, cleverererest advertisements that appeared this year. Don Draper would be proud. Check them out, after the jump.


Liverpool Street T-Mobile Dance

Though it came out just a couple of weeks into the year, this foot-stomping, commuter-bemusing, high-kicking dance-a-thon could easily have won advert of the year straight off the bat. 350 dancers, one station, 3 minutes. Genius.


The Visa crutches 'flow' dance

Can you dance using crutches? Us neither. We do know a man who can, however, and his name is Bill Shannon – and he's an artist from Nashville. He can also (as you'll see) skateboard on the damn things too, the show off.


The Ford Focus 'Beautifully Arranged' orchestra ad

Advertising Guru: "Why don't we chop up bits of your car and get some musicians to play them like they're instruments?" Ford Man: "Sure, why the hell not. Go for it." And so it came to pass...



Wildly optimistic Robinsons Wimbledon advert

Back when Murray looked like he stood a chance, this advert made sense. Once he fell at penultimate hurdle (as is traditional for us Brits), it didn't. Still, top marks for trying Robinsons.



The greatest minds in advertising join forces

The PG Tips monkey, The Admiral, Bertie Basset... all the big names. They're all here, for your comedic pleasure, to raise money for Comic Relief. Did you know the Honey Monster could sing that well? We definitely didn't.



The Cadbury's eyebrows commercial

It just had to be here... two odd kids, wiggling their eyebrows to the tune of 'Don't Stop the Rock' by Freestyle. What says 'buy chocolate' better than that? Actually, don't answer that one.



Virgin Trains "Go Ed!" advert

Uplifting, hilarious, and featuring Richard Branson riding one of those electric trolley thingummies... it doesn't get better than this. Also 'The Final Countdown' is a certified 'choon' – which makes any ad 643% better automatically.



Irn-Bru High School Musical piss take

Anything that takes the piss out of High School Musical gets our vote, and that's that. Though we'd like to point out that shaking your Irn-Bru like that will result in a whole lot of ginger fizz on your face. And you won't like that now, will ye?



The Monkey and Al kitchen dance

Lovingly ripped-off from Morcambe and Wise's classic 'Stripper' dance whilst cooking their breakfast, this ad sees Johnny Vegas doing the funniest thing he's done in years. I.e. making tea with a monkey.



Rugby on the streets of London

It's about time Rugby got the 'Nike Ad' treatment, and this one's reassuringly good, featuring hookers, props and wingers flying through windows, battering cars and forming scrums around taxis. As you do.



Your rockstars aren't like our rockstars

Intel adverts, forever cursed by that more than just a little annoying "bum-bum-bum-bum" jingle they have, actually made a half-decent advert this year. Featuring an actor playing Amar Bhatt (the co-creator of the USB) it's the coolest thing the chip makers have ever made. Aside from chips, obviously.



Compare The Meerkat

Love 'im or hate 'im, Aleksandr Orlov has weedled his way into the advertising hall of fame in this outstandingly popular psuedo-russian furry munchin-based commercial. Also, the voice is done by the guy who works at the BP garage in Alan Partridge. Somewit diffrent accintz, no?