People are way too negative about celebrities doing adverts.

Take Jessica Alba’s recent Calamari calendar, for example. Sure, it’s a bit gauche – but it does mean that we’ve got 12 new pictures of Jessica Alba to gawp at, which can’t be a bad thing.

But of all the celebrity sell-outs, Japanese adverts get the worst press.

You know, the ones that your favourite actors assumed would never travel outside of Kyoto, because they were too drunk on free Saki to remember the word ‘YouTube.’

Well, we’re here to say they shouldn’t be ashamed. The following adverts are brilliant and they all beat Hollywood at their own game.

Angelina Jolie

Brand Awareness: The director seems to understand that, with Angelina, all you have to do is point a camera at her and the product will sell itself. Trust us, these things get far more lunatic from here on in.

How it triumphs: It allows Angelina more dignity in 15 seconds than Tomb Raider managed in two films.

Brad Pitt

Brand Awareness: We're not sure how on-brand this one is, actually. One of the biggest icons of the modern age, pushing a photocopier down some stairs. Maybe they saw Fight Club?

How it triumphs: Darren Aronofksy couldn't talk Brad into being in The Fountain; the Roots Coffee folk convinced him to sign-off on that ridiculous 'gulp' sound effect with relative ease.

Kiefer Sutherland

Brand Awareness: With Kiefer, you've got a choice. Either Sellotape a mullet to the back of his neck and superglue some fangs to his incisors, or convince him to bark angry orders into a walkie talkie. Thankfully, they went for the latter.

How it triumphs: We're not sure why, but we believe the sight of Keifer running through a train full of Japanese school girls barking "Yes!" "No!" more than we did when he delivered any of his dialogue in Mirrors.