Ads do lots of things. Some of the most memorable ones self deprecating, parodies, lampoons, and mirrors held up to an industry that perhaps takes itself too seriously. And its propensity to over-hype. Here is an ad that does it all, and it ends up touting a brand that is surprisingly mundane, unless you love a certain Italian vegetable.

Already a corporate partner with the NCAA, Northwestern Mutual has enhanced its sports portfolio by becoming the presenting sponsor of the annual New Year's Day Rose Bowl game. The company signed a deal with ESPN that includes on-air and in-game marketing, activation across ESPN's coverage of 23 college sports championships, and ads during five other CFB Bowl Games on Jan. 1.

Esquire articles editor Joe Keohane wrote recently on the magazine's website that as a pre-teen he created a bit of mischief at his neighborhood Friendly's. Earlier this week, Esquire revealed Friendly's had heard the plea and would relent. Keohane received a letter from the Massachusetts chain's CEO John Maguire, inviting him back to the restaurant-complete with a gift card. He also got a tweet for good measure.

In defense of dealers, lawmakers in New Jersey and Missouri have proposed regulating direct-to-consumer sales by companies like Tesla Motors. But the Federal Trade Commission is urging lawmakers in those states to consider abandoning existing laws, as current laws in both jurisdictions "operate as a special protection for [independent motor vehicle dealers] - a protection that is likely harming both competition and consumers."

Samsung is rebranding Heathrow's Terminal 5 for two weeks to promote the Galaxy S5 Android phone. This week, every area of the terminal will feature the "Terminal Samsung Galaxy S5" moniker, with all the signage and digital screens promoting the handset and projecting images of it. Russell Taylor, Samsung's UK marketing VP, describes this as a "one-off opportunity to push the boundaries like no other brand has been allowed to do before."

Jim Edwards of Business Insider warns of real-time bidding's risks, quoting Konrad Feldman, CEO of Quantcast, who, in essence, says that people selling retargeted ads on RTB exchanges are like the contractor who convinces you to get the gold-plated fixtures. Feldman tells Edwards that advertisers are "actively being gamed."

The man variously known as Broadway Joe, Joe Willie, Super Bowl MVP and Hall of Fame QB is adding another nickname to his list - Joe Skechers. The legend joins four-time Super Bowl champion and fellow ex-QB Joe Montana on a roster of endorsers that also includes NBA Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. A humorous campaign starring Namath supports Relaxed Fit footwear scheduled to launch this fall to coincide with the start of the 2014 NFL season.

The growth of mobile commerce isn't hurting in-store retail sales. When Gallup polled US consumers in March 2014, 22% of respondents said that mobile had increased their retail store trips, beating out those who said it decreased by 3% points.

Kia Motors Corp is out to change its image among Americans as a low-priced value brand with the recently launched $66,000 luxury K900 sedan, but analysts said it should expect an uphill climb. The South Korean automaker has been asking U.S. consumers to "challenge the luxury you know" since its February Super Bowl ad featuring Laurence Fishburne, who reprised his role in the futuristic "The Matrix" movie trilogy.

Chasing restaurants like Chipotle and Smashburger, McDonald's is testing guacamole as a condiment and dipping sauce at its restaurants in southern California, and testing a Guacamole Burger in Denver. In SoCal, you can add guac for under a dollar. Customers can choose ingredients for a customized quarter-pounder.