Weird toys from TV adverts | Ashens 

I'd like to see a Toy Story-style movie where all the weird/bootleg/poundland tat-quality toys interact with each other right before Stuart chucks them into the bin.

The tango doll looks like something saladfingers would play with.

Anyone remember the Staples "that was easy" button? Every kid in my class had one on their desk and they ended up banning them in my school.

As an American this is like watching a video from a parallel universe

"I Can't remember what they replaced it with" Store closures.

‘Weird toys from TV adverts’, might be the most Ashens topic ever. We’ve reached the peak of weird tat.

The Argos aliens have really gone downhill ever since they appeared in that Eiffel 65 video

I feel deeply saddened by the lack of Peperami Man in this video. The nasty, sticky rubber doll things gather dust quite splendidly

When I saw the thumbnail, I thought Tango was Morph.

In America, we had the "California Raisins" merchandise everywhere in the late 80's. Based solely on a series of ads for...raisins. Guessing people in the UK never saw them. They were mostly awful.

My dad used to put the Tango Doll on the top of the Christmas tree so at least i now know what its from

One of the lesser-known brian voice lines for the toy is... "Find the gummy bear album in stores november 13th"

(gets hit with tat on both sides of your head) You know when you've been Ashens'd

its something magical and amazing to see Ashens make a toy monkey deepthroat a Pirate Cove's cartridge at 5 in the morning...life changing experience this

"It says annoying things until you turn it off and throw it in the bin." I see you've talked to one of my exes.

Good God... The alien got more and more unnerving the longer she sat and stared through the camera directly into my soul

My god, that alien in the background for the rest of the video is horrifying

Ah the classic Tango doll, I had a few of these back in the day. To get them you had to phone a very expensive phone number and listen to 5-10 minutes of screeching, shouting, and generally weird noises. I must of cost my poor old nan about £40 in phone calls getting them. Thanks for that bit of nostalgia Ashens 🖒

I met Monkey's puppeteer last year as part of a VFX class, and yep, the TV pilot thing is true! We saw a bunch of behind the scenes photos of it, and some clips. It is a really well designed toy (and puppet, actually) for I can't blame them for at least trying lmao

I phoned up the 'tango hotline' to order one of these when i was a teenager. It was a very surreal experience. An automated voice said 'your new name is (pause....) Special Sheppard' lol. I also remember the doll smelling of tango when it was brand new out of the box

Good god, the blue toy looks like a Euclid class SCP.

3:46 I can tell you why you Remember the 'Go-Tan' Doll - They were NOT sold in shops... They did a marketing Campaign where a clue was hidden in an advert and if you called a number - You would get a message (Obviously Premium Rate - These things were NOT free) and be sent your Free 'Go-Tan' Doll... I missed out on this one, BUT I did manage to get the Number off someones hand in the LEMON TANGO Adverts... And YES I did phone it! IT was actually Quite funny, and a few weeks later I got a Package through the post with some very random gubbins... The Adverts were DISCONTINUED after they tried to 'Up the Game' when they released TANGO STILL... A Non-Carbonated Tango later on... As the whole prank went WRONG and they were faced with Legal Issues from the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) It was explained by the Marketing team 'People enjoyed the You've been tangoed Adverts so much, we hid clues in the adverts so they could actually be a part of the fun and be tangoed themselves in a way' - SO THERE YOU GO ASHENS!!! THERE IS YOUR ANSWER!!! (Don't take my word for it - I am sure you can find details on Google!!!) EDIT: No Joke... This is such a long story really - You and Larry Bundy Jr could actually do an Entire 'History of the Tango Ad Campaign that Fooled the UK' Video and get MASSIVE HITS!!! Its actually a really fascinating story!

I remember in secondary school when those tango ads were playing there was a big thing of sneaking up to people and clapping both hands over someone's ears followed by shouting you've been tangoed. It was addressed several times at assembly due to apparent risk of eardrum damage

"Cast your mind back to 1992... Unless you weren't born before 1992, that might cause your brain to explode or something." *Born in 1997* OH SHI- *brain explodes*

This tango doll looks like something out of Salad Fingers

Astrid looks like the sickly daughter of Megamind. Also, lol uploading nearing Sunday morning in the UK.

I ordered the Tango Doll for my Collie Dog in 90's, he had it all his life and loved it...🐕🐶

Yes, actually, they basically did replace the alien with a big sign saying "Come to Argos!" Also, the "Go Compaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrreeeeeeeeeeeeee!" guy was my uncle's best friend in secondary school. My uncle went on to cook food for prince william in the RAF. I'll let you decide which one had the better future.

Those alien toys are so weird lol

That yeti thing had a pretty funny advert "I will outlive de both of you!"

I remember when monkey became the pg mascot and my Nan ended up getting a load of free ones and gave them to me. I also distinctly remembering that one of the monkeys cane with a short documentary on tea. I watched that documentary a lot as kid ...

My god, because of your toys tag my whole suggested videos catalog is now those weird toy channels with millions of views.

I thought the thumbnail was Morph after suffering a fairly catastrophic stroke

Oh god, Monkeh brings back so much nostalgia for me. I can already visualize him pulling that cartridge out of his mouth later, and sighing "Yo ho..." as he goes off to make himself a cup of tea. Also, those Argos aliens look like they wouldn't be out of place in Bloodborne.

Man, this is a trip down memory lane. I remember all of these, but the tango one since I wasn't born then

What is up with Ashens and unintentionally creepy things?

Fun Fact: That Tango doll was from the TV advert I was in :D

The Confused dotCom robot was such a desperate attempt to cash in on the Meerkat popularity. Amused me every time I saw it. Those Argos aliens however gave me bloody nightmares. My god I hated those things. It was mainly their eyes & movements.

I'm so glad I've kept my Brian in his box. It's much less disappointing that way.

“This child is annoying, and his parents don’t really like him.” *Buy butter and cheese everyone*

I remember having the Tango Doll as a kid. I don't remember ever watching the advert, and I'm not sure were my parents got one. All I remember was that we called it the tango man and it was apparently kinda rare, because no other kid at school had one and always wanted me to bring it.

You know, I had one of those monkehs but mini with a PG Tips shirt

As a Brit, I simultaneously thank you for giving me a nostalgia rush with these and hate you for reminding me that those bloody creepy argos aliens existed

I always wanted one of those Zingy things from the EDF adverts from I have no idea how long ago.

My Dad has Brian in it's original box he refuses to take it out as it will "be worth loads of money one day". 🙈🙈

I wrote an entire university essay on the 'You Know When You've Been Tango'd' campaign.

For me the only 90s doll I remember is Flat Eric. Apparently there are some giant puppets made of him.

The Tango doll reminds me of a slightly wonky version of Morph...

idea for future video: shit cereal box prizes & box-tab mail-ins also does Gotan remind anyone else of Salad Fingers? ;-;

Just remembered the EDF energy blobby poo things. I had friends obsessed with them!

I still have my Tango doll. His name in the advert was Jim. He had pride of place on my mantle piece. I bought a bottle of tequila which had been decorated with a tiny sombrero and sarape, which coincidentally fit my Tango man exactly. So my Tango man looked like a comedy Mexican.

the sofa is looking particularly shoddy today, I hope it's feeling okay

The only other advertising mascot I can think of that switched companies was the Verizon/ Sprint "can you hear me now?" guy. Interesting video, thank you!!!

I love the Anchor Christmas advert where the kid got the squeaky elephant. And the advert where the two were talking about retirement homes and the grandmother said "I'll outlive the both of you." lol

God I choked when Astrid was sitting there lol so funny

So monkeh wa sat back with his yorkshire cup of tea -spiffing brit

I had a Tango Doll, you'd also be given a "Cult Name" mine was Flowing Seed

"I love being your robo friend." "Why?"

PG Tips was traditionally advertised with chimps, that's why it made sense for them to adopt the monkey character

Ah yes, the Argos aliens. I believe good ol Larry introduced me to those dolls - I knew you were going to review these sooner or later. You should have made the Argos Alien do the 'Grr argh' pose from the Mutant Enemy logo.

Almost 1 am EST, new Ashens video? I didn’t realize it was Christmas already !

For some reason my mum was obsessed with the PG Tips Monkeys, we had about ten different ones for a while, including a giant one in a hula skirt and coconuts. They were absolutely everywhere in charity shops for a bit. We've still got a little one with a Christmas hat and scarf that comes out every year with the rest of the decorations. She's moved on to the Aldi Kevin the Carrot now, we've got him and his children although couldn't get hold of Katie or the evil parsnip. She discovered the Christmas jumpers they wear are removable so she snuck them off so they can stay out of the loft all year round. Like the Monkeys, surprisingly well made, pretty solid- can handle actual play. And god, were the Argos aliens really 2011!? That seems far too long ago.

ngl, I thought that was Morphs not-talked-about cousin.

So, Ashens. About that advertising. It's been exactly 12 months. What is the world like?

Suprised you don't have Flat Eric

this video is bonkers start to finish lmao. Thanks for all the hard work and great content. The way you gagged and cast away that poor monkey lmaooo

8:27 Thanks for answering the one question that has kept me awake for so many years.

yeah the ask in 12 months thing has not aged well for different reasons unfortunately

I remember James Corden getting bullied by the tango men in 1999 or so (edit, it was 2000). They got some complaints as a result of that one, I seem to remember!

I have a GoTang! Still boxed! Also a Tango loudhailer type of thing (smallish size) that took batteries to work. So glad you’ve shown this as friends have no clue what I’m talking about lol 💋 xx

The Tango Doll is actually Morph from Hartbeat after his show was cancelled and he went off the deep end. The only work the poor chap could get.

The Brian robot is one of my nephews favourite toys somehow.

You missed Flat Eric from the Levis advert. That was a weird thing which my younger brother was obsessed with!

That Gotan doll looks very similar to an old Aardman Animations character called 'Morph'. I remember having a toy when I was growing up that let you make the character out of plasticine only instead of actually looking like Morph it ended up looking like that Tango-drenched monstrosity. Ah, memories!

11:32 good job gettin that second arm up as quick as possible :D

That couch is more well known than the casting couch

Hey Ashens, it's been 12 months exactly, how's it going with RU-vid?

My uncle is a self-employed plumber and has one of those Tango dolls on his van’s dashboard and I had no idea what it was for years - never thought I’d find out from Ashens but it makes sense 😂

I still have my mini Pg tips monkey from God knows where and I used to carry it everywhere when I would go to school and stuff, I was obsessed with it

I had plush of the Taco Bell Chihuahua There was also the Coca Cola Polar Bears...

THANK YOU for not showing crazy frog

Those blue aliens were a supressed memory i forgot existed, so thanks for that.

From a massive Beano fan, I'd love to see you do an episode on free gifts that came with the Beano, I remember getting some pretty cool things back in the nineties

Who else remembers Flat Eric ? ;)

'You've been tangoed' was also shouted with people with a bad orange fake tan

That Tango thing will appear in my nightmares tonight.

A couple weeks ago I was on a residential with the BFI and we got to meet one of the puppeteers for the Monkey. It was very surreal.

When I saw this title I definitely thought we would see Mr. Oizo/Flat Eric!

I could swear I saw the eyes of that blue thing move at one point.

Crash Test Dummies better be in this. Kids defiantly wanted those, and they got them.

Omg I love the monkey from PG Tips.

it’s been 12 months, how’s youtube advertisements treating you

"Like the witches from that Roald Dahl book." ...The Witches.

My dad worked for On/ITV digital until the final days and I loved my dads monkey collection as a child. I think the pilot was true, I was quite young but I remember seeing something like that. I'll have to ask him about it.

it’s funny looking back at how many things I had when I was like 5/6 years old that were advert stuff. Cocoa-Cola polar bear, a toy plane with an insurance company brand on it, Budweiser truck, etc etc.

It's been exactly one year since this was released.... how is that RU-vid ad revenue lol

Holy shit I completely forgot about the Argos aliens

Few things funnier and better than a Brit reviewing insane toys from ads hahaha. Thank you for doing this mate.

As an American that has never seen most of these I found your explanations very interesting! Fun too see some weird knick knacks and learn some history on em

My favorite RU-vidr for years!! I think we can safely say ... That sofa is now a couch. 😂