If you accidentally watched Channel 5 or 8 these days, you'd notice something about their television advertisements: The budget set aside to make them is about $50 for a 15-second spot.

How can ads deliver if the budget is so low?

To give you a sense of how different things were eons a decade or two ago, here are 10 old school television ads you might recall watching because people were still willing to pay for ideas.

1. Singapore Navy - “The Sun, the Sand and the Sea“

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This medley of songs disguised as a navy ad was responsible for hiring many lao jiaos (old birds) in the navy today.

Stilted conversations aside, woah, that girl's got big hair.

2. McDonalds: “The Sounds of Singapore”

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This McDonalds ad could actually pass off as a National Day video?

3. LTA: “Bus Service”

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How about this ad by LTA that suggests waiting at bus stops potentially results in young love?

(But then it finally ends with the guy being alone? Why so sad? #foreveralone)

4. Singapore Airlines: “Great Way to Fly”

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This one by SIA featured a song with wholesome lyrics about a “Singapore girl” and showed cabbies opening doors for alighting passengers.

5. SingTel: “Call Waiting”

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And this ad by Singtel featured a very young and irresponsible Jamie Yeo. Tsk tsk.

6. Singapore Courtesy Campaign: “Singapore Courtesy Campaign 1995”

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Seen this one? How about this ancient Singaporean courtesy campaign ad featuring Singa the Lion (bless his soul) with Michael Learns to Rock karaoke?

7. Speak Mandarin Campaign: “All Kids”

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Do you remember this Speak Mandarin Campaign foreshadowing a surge in the popularity of Mandarin?

8. Gold 90.5 FM "Only Hear The Good Stuff"

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Till today, still one of Singapore's most epic ads. Nice idea. Flawless execution.

9. Singapore Cancer Society: “As Often as Men do”

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And here's a real commercial of Singaporean men checking out breasts.

10. OSIM - “iGallop”

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And here’s the last one. Chances are you haven’t forgotten this -- I know I haven’t. Though sometimes, I wish I did.

Ix Shen. Haha. Where did he go?

So how many of these commercials do you remember?

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