Although it's often the pause just before the best bit or the time you nip to the loo, ad breaks have provided some unforgettable TV moments in the past.
Our own advertising geniuses have really flexed their muscles over the years and the best Irish adverts have stayed lodged in our minds for decades.
So what makes a great example we hear you ask? You'll notice that most TV ads, and often radio ads too, tell a story that really sticks in your mind.
EBS - 'Two weeks in Torremolinos'
EBS will go down in history for creating one of the most quoted adverts of all time. Their hilarious depiction of a young plumber who was hired to fix a woman's washing machine will be ingrained in our minds forevermore.
The worker told the shocked woman would fix the appliance when he got back from his holidays. 'Two weeks in Torremolinos, it's gonna be tropic,' he told her. The trailer got even funnier when she asked 'what about the clothes?'
'Sure I have my togs on under my trousers, down there for dancing' Hilarious!
Carlsberg's 'best dream in the world'
Carlsberg have had some pretty epic ads in their time, but their most iconic has to be the time they showed us what the 'best dream in the world' would look like.
The advert sees Jason McAteer dream up the nation's greatest wish... for Ireland to win The World Cup during their 2002 campaign.
The magical clip imagines a world where the infamous Saipan incident never occurred, Mick McCarthy didn't accuse Roy Keane of faking an injury, and the Man United legend was able to keep his cool.
Jason dreamed that Robbie Keane scored against England, knocking them out of the competition, before he kicked in the final goal to see Ireland win the tournament.
'Carlsberg don't do dreams, but if we did they would probably be the best dreams in the world,' the iconic clip ended.
Pat Shortt's '222222' song
Almost as catchy as his famous The Jumbo Breakfast Roll song, Pat Shortt's clever play on words had us belly laughing every time it flashed onto our TV screens.
The comedian got in between a couple's private conversation to sing them. Pat sang the infamous phone number '1890, 22 22 22,' and so One Direct's car insurance digits became stuck in all of our brains for life.
Paul Mescal's 'Bali... Ballyhaunis'
Before Paul Mescal was the star that he is today, he was the Ballyhaunis boy on the back of the bus. The Maynooth man will never escape the hilarious Denny ad that first made him famous.
The Normal People star gave us the dad joke of all dad jokes when he delivered his iconic line. He decides to 'seize the Denny' and head to Bali... Ballyhaunis!
Barry's Tea, 'Is this a date?'
Arguably the most prolific of memory makers are the one and only Barry's Tea. The story told in this little nugget is effectively about a young woman getting off with one of her colleagues. Sure lookit, we've all been there.
The now iconic 'is this a date' line, said in the kind of Dublin accent in which the letter T sounds like an sh (is this a dayshe?), has been ripped for years and even featured in a skit on the Republic of Telly.
Pat the Baker - 'Who wakes up the morning?'
Eat your heart out Disney, this classic Pat the Baker ad has not only gorgeous animation but the theme tune to match.
Mad it hasn't been remixed into a dancefloor banger yet.
Tayto - heaven or hell?
Remember the one where two nuns made a trip to hell to nick a bag of Satan's Taytos?
A bit dramatic of them but you know what, fair play. Lean in ladies.
4. Kitkat - Garda's break
Jaysus, he'd be better off just having a cup of tea with his Kitkat. Here's hoping this fictional Garda wasn't disciplined after this private moment.
5. McDonald's Ireland - something a little more comfortable
This ad sees a saucy moment interrupted when the female of the couple goes to get into something a little more comfortable.
Instead of uncomfortable knickers she comes back with a baggy teeshirt, trackie bottoms and most iconically—moustache bleach on her upper lip. She then leaps into a soliloquy that will forever stay in history.
6. Lyric FM - uncomfortable dinner
This Lyric FM offering is on the stranger side of things and sees an inmate, who looks a bit nervous, suddenly joined at meal time by a whole group of inmates.
It transpires that said anxious gentleman needn't have been so judgmental as the group are actually super nice to each other and him too. All of this is caused, of course, by the power of Lyric FM.
We're scratching our heads too.
7. Guinness - dancing bloke
A now truly iconic ad, this offering saw Joe McKinney flaunting a very impressive range of dance moves and facial expressions.
We'll bet this dance will be recreated by people all over Ireland when the pubs finally reopen their doors!
8. Esat Digifone - the guy from the bar
Remember before dating apps when you used to get numbers off people in real life? This retro ad for Esat Digifone (now O2 Ireland) shows the risks of judging a book by it's cover.
Special note for the Nokia 3210 which brings back all the memories.
9. Barry's TVM - um's secret
Had to go out with a bang, or should I say the mum in this did—seemingly revealing a raucous affair from her past.
Jaysus, why can't people just enjoy their tea in peace?
