A Lizard, A Crack, and a Ceiling That Spoke Louder Than Words

In the world of advertising, the simplest stories often leave the most lasting impressions. Back in 2007, a Thai television commercial by Shera Ceiling Boards aired — not with grand visuals or famous faces, but with a lizard. And in under a minute, it managed to do what entire brand campaigns often aim for: leave a permanent mark on memory.

The commercial opened in silence. A small lizard crawled across the ceiling — slow, deliberate, ordinary. Then came a quiet crack. The ceiling gave way, and the creature fell with a soft thud. No dramatics. No panic. Just a visual truth. The moment rewrote expectations around construction material advertising.

There were no dialogues, only actions. The camera focused on the fine detail of the ceiling board breaking — a clear, subtle cue of subpar quality. Then came the message: Shera Ceiling Boards don’t crack under pressure. That was it.

The ad never showed the actual product being installed. It never showed people admiring a ceiling. It trusted one emotion — surprise — and one metaphor — fragility — to deliver its promise. And it worked.

The brilliance lay in restraint. While others chased complexity, this commercial adopted a minimalist approach. It chose a character people usually ignore — the common household lizard — and turned it into the storyteller. The absence of clutter sharpened the impact. Humour layered with truth, simplicity delivered with power, and product value revealed without explanation.

It proved that ads don’t always need noise. They need a moment. One frame that holds your attention long enough to embed the message beneath your skin.

Shera’s 2007 lizard commercial didn’t feel like advertising. It felt like a small, familiar moment turned poetic. And through that poetry, the brand achieved clarity. In a market flooded with promises, Shera chose proof, shown, not told. The ceiling cracked. A lizard fell. And a brand rose.