This is an industry I worked in (producing commercials) and I have to say that whatever article it is you read was pretty limited, or at least just put forward the generalised state of affairs.
The simple fact is that, no matter what country you are in, different products require different buttons pushed in the consumer's mind. For example, a cleaning product ad needs to state facts more than likely (what does it clean and how?) and it needs to emblazon the image of the product in the viewer's mind so that they notice it on the supermarket shelf. As does a financial product (what's the APR?). But a soft drink or perfume advert doesn't need to do this and as a result can focus more on selling a lifestyle / set of values / a cool or sexy factor or putting out humour.
As for regional and cultural variations, well yes, there's some truth in what the article says. But it's limited. There's plenty of humour in US ads actually. Think of the IBM, Pepsi Max or Geeko Car Insurance ads that are showing on US TV at present. These are three very different products and they all state the facts if needed but are all seek to appeal from the humour approach also. They do it very well imo. In England you rarely find these products being sold on a humour tip at all. Car Insurance and computer products are typically very dull adverts in the UK.
This also takes you on to issues of the size of the company (can they afford a production company that can churn out high quality humour and photography?) and how much they are willing to spend on their advertising (it's just not a big factor for some). Typically, cleaning products don't spend much on TV ads, especially when compared to say car or drinks companies. This all counts for a lot when you find a lack of humour and / or panache.
You'll find far more revelations by looking more specifically at the way the same products are being sold in different countries. Doing so will make you realise that there isn't a great deal of variation between these western countries.
If you want to find cultural variations then look in other areas, like the movies being made, the literature being consumed, the TV shows that succeed, the radio shows that are popular, even the news (especially the 'and finally' items) and so on. Adverts, at least in the way they are being put forward in this thread, don't tell you that much actually.
