Commentary

Out to Launch

Seagram's Vodka launched a trio of ads that take NFL rivalries to an enjoyable, lowbrow level. A patriot talks smack to a sassy dolphin in the first ad, seen here. The dolphin has a hard time taking threats seriously from a man wearing a wig and makeup. It's a giant trading barbs with an eagle in the next ad, seen here. The deep-voiced giant threatens to crush the eagle, which plans on feeding the giant to his kids. My favorite ad pits cheese against bear. "Keep it down queso," says the bear. "Shut your bear trap before I beat you into hibernation," replies the cheese. See it here. "Celebrate classic rivalries with Seagram's Vodka," concludes the spots, created by David&Goliath.

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Graceful moisture penetrates multiple layers of skin in an ad for Vaseline Sheer Infusion, dubbed as lotion that delivers moisture across all layers of skin. How many layers are we talking about here? Fifteen acrobats play the role of Sheer Infusion, piercing skin in a polished manner. Watch the ad here, created by Bartle Bogle Hegarty New York.

 

Travelers Insurance protects businesses, homes and automobiles. Possessions covered in countless red umbrellas are a dead giveaway to protection by Travelers. "Drifters" begins with a dozen red umbrellas floating in the sky. The number of umbrellas multiplies as the flock travels over a pond and through a city, until landing on a parked car and covering the roof of a house. "When it comes to protecting the things you care about, leave nothing to chance," says the voiceover. See the ad here. Fallon created the ad, edited by Rock Paper Scissors. a52 provided visual effects.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority launched the latest ad in its "What happens here, stays here" campaign -- and it does not disappoint. A bereaved family gathers to hear a will reading. The widow gets the house, the son gets a rare coin collection -- and John the concierge receives the Monet, Bentley and Italian villa for reasons only he and the deceased, Stanley, are privy to. Speechless family members turn to John, who offers his condolences. Watch the ad here, created by R&R Partners.

I want a Powermat, stat. It's a flat pad that wirelessly charges cell phones, iPods and handheld games. All you need to do is plug in the Powermat and you're good to go. I'd probably have the same reaction as those featured in two TV spots introducing Powermat to the world. Two college students are so amazed by the Powermat that they swear uncontrollably and are bleeped out, for the sake of the children. They're also hopeful the device will help them land chicks. Good luck with that. Watch it here. The Powermat equally impresses a pair of co-workers, who are unable to suppress their potty mouths. Their boss joins the conversation then tells them to "get back to bleepin work." See the ad here. Print ads, seen here, here and here, show a previous life full of tangled cords. Woods Witt Dealy & Sons created the campaign, with editing handled by Crew Cuts. Maxus handled the media buy.

Does your IT department treat you like the duo in this online video? Members of this virtual IT department berate and speak to users as they would a child, have little time for unimportant problems, and play "Star Wars" with one another. The video ends with a Web address: TalkToTheITGuy.com, a site that promotes Alot's Web snapshots, a toolbar application that lets PC users take screengrabs of Web pages, useful when writing presentations. And there's less of a chance of needing the IT folks' help. In addition to the online video, there's rich-media banners running on business-targeted sites across Yahoo and the Lotame Network. Walrus created the campaign.

Amazing things happen when you think twice before printing. Forests are saved. Trees grow between buildings and city streets, making the commute to work all the more challenging. A director's cut for Kaiser Permanente promotes the company's paperless medical records. Less printing means added shade and trees as tall as surrounding buildings. "Paperless medical records are a beautiful thing," closes "Emerald Cities," seen here. Campbell-Ewald, Los Angeles created the ad, directed by Noam Murro of Biscuit Filmworks.

"Le Sens Propre" is a short film that bowed earlier this year to promote Adobe's Creative Suite 4. A whimsical tale is told through the imaginative eyes of a little girl. She watches children play outside while she remains inside with a stomachache. Mom gets a glimpse of life from her daughter's point of view, which involves edible clouds, cupcakes, lollipops and chocolate. I'd like to visit often. Since it's a dream world, hopefully I can eat all I want without gaining weight. See the film here, created by Goodby, Silverstein & Partners and written and directed by Cisma from Blacklist.

Random iPhone app of the week: An app that encourages users to play with their food. LongHorn Steakhouse launched its first-ever 3D application, additionally touted as the first app for the casual dining industry. Users can play with a steak, flip it around, and those with 3-D glasses can see it all take place in stereoscopic 3D. The free app, created by Grey New York, is available in the App Store.

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