Commentary

Out to Launch

Toshiba tackles important "what if" questions in two spots running in Canada. The first question concerns inconsistent TV volume and making it stop, stat. Don't you hate when the volume is fine for a program and you rupture an eardrum at commercial break? The boyfriend in "Nakeder" wishes he had this solution before he changed the channel from chick flick to something more "adult," awakening his sleeping girlfriend. See the ad here. The next issue is security. As in, wouldn't it be nice if access to your laptop required facial recognition, thereby preventing your girlfriend from stumbling upon incriminating bachelor party pictures? Watch the ad here. Zig Toronto created the ads, directed by Aleysa Young of Partners Film, Toronto.

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Apple launched its latest trio of Mac vs. PC ads. "Surprise" features Mac attempting to sell a PC to a consumer. Said consumer questions Mac's authenticity and leaves undecided. Then the mask comes off. It's PC, posing as Mac. Justin Long's scowl expressions were priceless. See the ad here. Patrick Warburton plays a "Top of the Line" PC in the second ad, shown here. He's used as a selling point but loses to Mac when he tells the buyer that all PCs get viruses. Warburton gives the woman his card in hopes that she'll one day compromise. Methinks not. Robert Loggia plays PC's personal trainer in the final ad, seen here. He doles out more positive reinforcement to Mac than his client. TBWA/Media Arts Labcreated the campaign and handled the media buy. 

Old Spice bowed "Different Scents," a TV spot promoting its variety of product scents while making its intended audience look like tools. We have men who ski, read books in leather chairs and pump iron, all while crashing through trees. Then there's the man who swings a golf club with one hand, a preppy who morphs into a woman, who's later joined on the beach by the prepster. Confused? Me too, but it's a step up from earlier ads I wrote about here.Watch the latest spot here, created by Wieden + Kennedy Portland.

Just when you think you've heard the last from Donald Trump, you see him in an ad for Oreo Double Stuf Gold, challenging Eli and Peyton Manning to a lick-off, following a failed attempt to purchase the DSRL, or Double Stuf Racing League. Anyone else traumatized by this vision? Needing a race partner, Trump reveals his ace in the hole: comedian Darrell Hammond, portraying the Donald himself. Watch the ad here, created by Draftfcb New York.

Think of this ad as a Tug of War where everyone's a winner. The International Olympic Committee launched the second phase of its "Best of Us" campaign, an effort aimed to motivate the world's youth with Olympic values like respect and friendship. Olympic athletes representing various countries and sports unite physically in "All Together Now." The oversized athletes pull their respective countries together by rope, uniting them as one. "The best of us" concludes the ad, seen here. The spot debuted during coverage of the 12th IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany. Cole & Weber United created the ad.

Fashion's Night Out, a global initiative that takes place stateside in New York City on Sept.10, encourages shopping, shopping and shopping. More than 700 stores will stay open late, engaging shoppers with celebrity guests, designers, musical performances and food. Profits from a charity T-shirt will benefit the September 11 Memorial and Museum, while a citywide clothing drive helps the NYC AIDS Fund. Advertising can be found on bus shelters, street pole banners, phone kiosks, online, TV and 6,500 taxicab monitors. See creative here. The PSA, produced by Laird + Partners, is chock full of fashion industry members wearing the charitable T-shirt and encouraging clothing donations and late-night shopping. Look for Anna Wintour, Vera Wang, Sarah Jessica Parker, Diddy and Zac Posen throughout the ad, seen here. NYC & Company created the campaign.

Sometimes you don't feel like standing for the stadium wave at sporting events. Now you can be part of a virtual fan wave, thanks to Chick-fil-A. The company launched a Web site to promote the 2009 college football season and its Labor Day giveaway. Online, consumers can join the Chicken Wave by uploading a picture and customizing their avatar. The first 250,000 people to join the Wave will receive a coupon for a free Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, and the next 750,000 fans receive a coupon for a free Coke Zero. There's also a daily drawing where Chicken Wave participants are eligible to win a $50 Chick-fil-A gift card. On Labor Day, Chick-fil-A is giving away a free Chicken Sandwich in-store to customers wearing any sports team logo. So grab your Mets gear and stop at the nearest Chick-fil-A! Click Here created the site.

"Nature in the city begins with all of us. The harder we try, the more it will thrive. We need your help," says copy on a print campaign for Evergreen, a Canadian-based non-profit that preserves nature in urban environments. The ads, running in Canadian Gardening, depict heads with wild hair as the roots of growing trees. See the ads here, here and here. "Be the Root" was created by zig.

 

Random iPhone App of the week: Be prepared, should an emergency arise, with the American Heart Association's Pocket First Aid App. The $3.99 App offers information on CPR, choking, bites, bruises, burns, seizures and diabetic emergencies. The App also includes a phone-based medical profile feature, where users can store their family's medical information, including doctors' contact information, emergency contacts, allergies, medications and insurance information. The data is stored only on the person's phone and is deleted if the App is removed from the phone. Jive Media created the App, available here.

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