• by Amy Corr , Staff Writer @MediaPostOTL, February 23, 2011

Nissan has partnered with Sports Illustrated to find next year's swimsuit model. "Model Search" highlights eight up-and-coming models vying for a spot in next year's swimsuit issue. Participants can cast votes and help determine who makes it into the magazine. The contest marks the first time a guaranteed spot has been available for a model. Nissan's spokesman Kowalczyk conducts "serious" field study experiments, pitting a supermodel against a Nissan Juke. Kowalczyk sabotages an aerodynamics experiment so he can ogle Amber, a bikini-clad model on a bearskin rug. See it here. An agility test shows Juke and Amber maneuvering through an obstacle course with ease. Watch it here. What looks better curbside: Amber lounging on a bench or Juke? Ask the focus group member, sent into serious overdrive. See it here. We're not done objectifying Amber just yet. The final spot consists of a fast dash between Juke and Amber, running in slow motion. The funniest part was Kowalczyk handing Amber water with lemon, after saying aloud: "you must be starving." Watch it here. TBWA/Chiat/Day Los Angeles and OMD created the campaign.

Chobani yogurt launched "Real Love Stories," a campaign showcasing real people and their love of yogurt. Some people will do extreme things for Chobani, like bike 80 miles on a Saturday morning to see a Chobani factory. If I biked that long, I'd at least try and go inside for a tour... or some samples. See Stephen's journey here. One woman had her Chobani stolen from the office fridge. She never caught the culprit, but she did find a hiding place for her beloved snack. Watch it here. In addition to the TV spots, online videos featuring real-life consumers encourage fellow Chobani lovers to share their love stories online. See longer promos for Stephen and Stephanie here and here. Outdoor ads use real tweets from Chobani fans alongside pictures of fruity yogurts. See them here, here, here and here. Gotham created the campaign.

I'm not usually a fan of cross-promotional ads, but Target's pair of 15-second spots that ran throughout last week's episode of "Top Chef" changed my tune. Temporarily, at least. Last week's episode gave the cheftestants free reign inside a Target. Their goal was to cook a meal using anything from the store. The winner made grilled cheese sandwiches and used an iron to add extra crunch. In "Quick Fire," former contestant Kevin made a lettuce and tomato sandwich. If only he'd added some bacon, thought host Padma Lakshmi. See it here. The next ad features Eli and Kevin competing in a quickfire challenge. Kevin's food is stuck inside his pan. Target sells non-stick cookware. Problem solved. Watch it here. Not that I expect to see Top Chefs buying cookware from Target or Padma shopping at one, but I loved the ads nonetheless. Wieden + Kennedy Portland created them.

Digitas Boston launched a Twitter contest asking those who are tired of winter, "When Will It Melt?" The contest is easy: guess the date the snow will melt in Boston, using the Twitter hashtag #whenwillitmelt. Every day, the agency's in-house meteorologist (person who drew the shortest stick?) will go to Boston's Government Center and check on the amount of snow on the ground. The winner gets an iPad. Start guessing!

The New York Lottery launched a TV spot to promote its Minute to Win It scratch-off game that's similar to the TV show with the same name, minus the physical challenges. A man spots the scratch-off while paying for odds and ends in a convenience store. The clerk has him perform embarrassing challenges, like juggling apples with socks on his hands, only to find out that physical challenges aren't a part of the scratch-off game. See the ad here, created by DDB New York.

Keeping with lottery ads, the Oregon Lottery bowed "Lord of the Chance," promoting its St. Patrick's Day Raffle game. The winner of the St. Patrick's Day Raffle rolls into an Oregon town on the back of a truck. He's dressed in a green body suit, dancing the jig and showering himself with gold coins. A crowd of onlookers quickly gathers. "Just because you're lucky like an Irishman doesn't mean you can dance like one," closes the ad, seen here and created by Borders Perrin Norrander.

Jim Beam launched "The Chase" this week in cinemas and TV, using a red stag that leaps tall city buildings to promote its black-cherry-infused whisky. Wherever the stag goes, a procession of black cherries are left behind. Watch the ad here, created by StrawberryFrog and produced by MassMarket.

This campaign ran last year and I don't know how I missed it, because I'm a huge fan of unbranded ad campaigns. OK, maybe it's because the product is targeting male hair loss. Karsh/Hagan launched a print and outdoor campaign for American Crew Trichology Hair Recovery System. Unbranded print ads, that ran in GQ, Men's Health and ESPN Magazine, posed questions regarding what, specifically, causes hair loss. Is it heat, testosterone, medication, bandanas, helmets or mental state? Abandoned buildings were also powerwashed with various questions, directing passerby to American Crew's Web site. See creative here, here, here, here, here and here.

Random iPad App pf the week: Travel + Leisure launched a free iPad app, powered by Woodwing. Users can check out bonus behind-the-scenes videos images not found in the print editions. Just because the app is free doesn't mean you can tap into print versions of T+L gratis. Like most apps, it gives users a discount to purchase issues via In App purchase. Each issue costs $3.99, a 20% savings from the mag's cover price. The app is available for download in the App Store.