Anchor Milk
If there's one thing we loved more than this advertisement, it's its theme song. This advertisement was aired in the late '90s for Anchor Milk, and the theme song was also found in the Anchor Milk Packets that came up at the time.
Kandos Chocolate
Yet another advertisement that we instantly fell in love with, simply because of the wonderful theme song. Perfectly capturing how any relationship can be sweetened up with chocolate, the theme song of this advertisement was aired in both Sinhala and English languages.
Orange Barley
This is a commercial that is just as lovely as the orange barley drink. Veering off from the normal in-your-face advertising style, this one came with a beautiful storyline that wonderfully portrays the love between a sister and a brother, and how that bond extends to the next generations, as much as the love we share for Orange Barley.
Keells Chicken Meat Balls
"Sss,.. sss,..Koheda inne?"
"Ayi ennada?"
This was a popular catchphrase among the young crowd back then. A flirty boy who's trying to pick up a girl at a supermarket while his friends/sisters are buying Keells Chicken Meat Balls was the storyline of this. The easy-going, mischievousness of being young and fun was nicely presented in this one.
Tikiri Marie
Even the recent Tikiri Marie advertisements have the same theme music as this one.
Ninja Mosquito Coils
Aired as Bodime Rayak part 1 and part 2, this advertisement unveiled three new faces to the television arena of Sri Lanka; Nimanthi Porage, Kanchana Mendis and Sanath Wimalasiri. The catchphrase "Apiwa balaganna ithin kawuruwath naane" (there's no one to take care of us) was very popular among the youth back then.
Kist Tomato Sauce
Five kids, sitting around a table, talking about how much they love Kist Tomato Sauce, this commercial was a hit in the '90s. So much so, they created a part 2 of this; years later with the same kids when they are all grown up.
Seylan Bank
The story of how Albert Uncle in London saved the wedding day of Suresh's friend came to us through this advertisement by Seylan Bank. Featuring the fund transfer facility of the said bank, it almost felt like a short drama than a commercial.
Richlife Milk
"Good morning, kiri maame"
"Good morning, mage patiyo"
This dialogue itself is enough to take us back in time and drown in nostalgia. With a milkman who's running along the village to distribute Richlife milk packets and a whole bunch of kids who are very excited to see him, there was so much love in this commercial. This advertisement was broadcasted in Sinhala as well as in English.
Sunlight
Encapsulating the beauty of the local village and how everything is brightened up with Sunlight, this is one of the oldest commercials of the said brand. In fact, every Sunlight advertisement that we've seen so far seem to follow the same theme.
It wasn't an easy task to limit this article to just ten; there are many other advertisements that we fell in love with in the '90s. Do let us know in the comments section about your favourite commercial back then.
