A scary or controversial advert can do wonders for a company's campaign, if they're able to time it right and turn into a viral hit. But sometimes, ads are beyond creepy without even meaning to be.

We've collected a few occasions where marketing types decided to mess up our childhoods and scare us for life, when all they meant to do was advertise a new cereal or kids' toy. Don't watch these on your own:

1. Kinder Surprise: Humpty Dumpty

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We're amazed that Kinder Eggs took off at all when watching this vintage advert from 1984.

It sees a nightmare version of Humpty Dumpty excitedly unwrapping an egg and playing with his new toy. It doesn't sound all that creepy, but when you watch his bizarre face (inspiration for Sloth from The Goonies?) that barely moves and his not-quite-English language, it makes you want to never have chocolate ever again.

And we're pretty sure he says "dies!" at the end. And then he seemingly does.

2. Little Baby's Ice Cream: Eating itself

Just looking at a still image from this ad will give you the shivers. We're still not quite sure if they meant for this advert to be scary, or even what they were thinking at all. Maybe they weren't thinking.

'This is a Special Time' stars 'Malcolm', a person who is seemingly made out of ice cream. In the video, he essentially eats himself with a spoon. Company co-founder Pete Angevine later said of the ad: "I came to realize that ice cream is a blank canvas, and you can just let your imagination go wild." Cheers for that, Pete.

3. McDonald's: First Ronald McDonald ad

When you think about it, Ronald McDonald is a bizarre and borderline creepy mascot at the best of times, but he started off even creepier.

Back in the 1960s, he was played by Willard Scott with a cup for a nose and a magical belt which created burgers out of nowhere. He had already played Bozo the Clown on WRC-TV in Washington, and claimed to have created the Ronald McDonald character himself. Later versions of Ronald were a tad more pleasant, but his roots were seriously weird.

4. Smokey Bear: Ripping off skin

Smokey Bear is a friendly and trustworthy fellow who reminds people to put out campfires in America. But this 1973 public service announcement is unnecessarily terrifying.

Actress Joanna Cassidy seductively tells viewers how cigarettes can start off a fire and kill loads of cute critters. And then she suddenly rips off her face to reveal she was Smokey all along ("Heheheh," he growls, "if you knew it was me… Would you have listened?").

This wouldn't usually be that scary, but it's the bizarrely realistic nature of it and the fact that you briefly see the top of her head after being seemingly skinned like something out of Hannibal. Horrifying.

5. Baby-Laugh-a-Lot doll

Apparently, all little girls wanted was a doll that would laugh constantly at them. And then attack them in their sleep...

This advert was made in the 1970s and showed how the doll was meant to entertain kids, but then proceeded to show children turning their heads to the camera with blank expressions, all while the doll kept laughing away in the background. WTF?

6. Sugar Krinkles: Krinkles the Clown

Before Ronald McDonald, this clown from the late 1950s was created with the intention of being cute and friendly, but instead just helped to slowly give everyone in the world a severe phobia of clowns.

Coming across as a Tim Curry from It tribute act, Krinkles pops his head through a paper door, and he simply can't get enough of that sweet cereal.

You just know as soon as the cameras stopped rolling he murdered everyone in that room.

7. Orkin Pest Control: Cockroaches and rats

We'll hand it to Orkin, these ads made us laugh. But that doesn't stop them from making our skin crawl a little bit.

The ads feature homeowners face to face with human-size pests, and it's all rather intimidating. They feel like something out of a horror movie.

8. The Rejuvenique Electric Facial Mask

In the world of infomercials, this has to be the most scary. All the tens of people that actually bought this product: you 100% terrified everyone that lived with you at the time.

This face mask was pulled off the market soon after this ad was first released, and you can see why. All it needs is a machete and you've got yourself a killer Friday the 13th outfit for Halloween.

9. Norton Furniture: Creepy Marc

This local cable commercial from the States is simply weird. These kind of ads are usually self-funded and star non-professional presenters, but come on. What the hell is going on here?

'Marc', as he's calling himself, is either stoned beyond belief, or a secret serial killer. If you ever hear that voice behind you, RUN.

Norton Furniture is actually owned and operated by Marc Brown, and is located in Cleveland. They became widely known online thanks to these low budget ads and Marc's raspy delivery, and he has since had appearances on MTV and Super Bowl commercials.

10. Kleenex: Cursed Japanese advert

First released in the 1980s, this is a highly disturbing and downright weird advert from Japan. It features a woman in white robes next to a small child dressed either like a carrot or a demon sitting on straw. We then hear a creepy a cappella version of Jane and Barton's 'It's a Fine Day'.

If that wasn't scary enough, it then led to various urban legends about everyone involved in the ad. Rumours circulated that several actors and crew died in unexpected deaths months after it first aired, and that actress Keiko Matsuzaka had been institutionalized or became pregnant with a demon child. Don't worry, she's alive and well.

11. Lynx: Chocolate man

This advert is meant to be funny, but it's just wrong. A cheery dude made out of chocolate appears happy to get eaten to death by a load of random women. That's a horror movie plot, right there.

It's just the casual nature of him ripping his own nose off, a stranger stealing his arm, and offering a lady to bite off his fingers, all while manically smiling, that creeps the crap out of us. The things men do to attract the ladies (and conform to gender stereotypes), eh?

12. Burger King: Wake up with the King

The Burger King character is basically very creepy. His never-changing expression and large head just fills us with dread. Though he also makes us very hungry.

The worst of the lot was the campaign which saw people wake up to find the King suddenly next to them in bed, staring at them. Sure, he gave them a burger too, but we're not sure we'd be hungry after waking up to that sight.

From: Digital Spy