• by Amy Corr , Staff Writer @MediaPostOTL, February 23, 2012

Venables Bell & Partners launched a pair of TV spots for CLEAR 4G Internet. The mobile provider offers unlimited 4G Internet with no data limits via varied pricing plans. To promote this, TV spots place people in normal situations with long-term contracts added to the mix. Take Kyle’s birthday party magician, for example. The magician, and his cat, have become part of the family because Dad had to sign a two-year contract with the less-than-subtle magician. “Birthday magicians don’t have long-term contracts. The Internet should be like birthday magicians,” closes the ad, seen here. In “Shirts,” a man leads a business meeting sans shirt because he reached his shirt limit for the month. His co-workers mock him for being shirtless, and as the camera pans out, those co-workers are sitting in the meeting pantsless. Watch it here.

Look no further than Kayak.com for a reason to shoot a flare gun indoors. A husband surprises his wife with a trip to Cabo that didn’t break the bank, booked through Kayak.com. The couple can use the money saved to repair their ceiling, since the wife got so excited she dropped her needlepoint and shot a flare gun through the ceiling five times. What else do you keep in your couch crevice? Watch it here. A previous ad, “Brain Surgeon,” showed a surgeon using his patient as a marionette to research vacation destinations. See it here. Barton F. Graf 9000 created the campaign.

Sitting home and waiting for a package delivery is simply archaic. And UPS is vacating the dinosaur age by offering customers info notices via email or text messages, informing them of their delivery date. A TV spot turns a handful of missed delivery slips into a dinosaur surrounded by tech devices, like a laptop and cell phone. The dinosaur tries to avoid extinction but is eventually squashed by the delivery itself. See the ad here, created by Ogilvy New York and produced by Charged Studios.

An “Old Prospector” panning for gold has the Midas touch in an ad for the California Lottery’s Hot Streak Scratchers game. The old-timer finds a gold nugget, gold watch, gold horseshoes and a gold bust of Queen Nefertiti. Needless to say, when the man returns to town, he strikes it big with a young woman. See it here, created by David&Goliath.

A furniture ad that’s funny?  Keep ‘em coming. A woman takes her comfy chair from home along for a speed dating session in a TV ad for Havertys. On her first speed session, the woman describes how she designed her chair at Havertys to match her couch. The man across from her shows how his shirt matches the lining of his blazer -- and the woman shows her approval by inviting him to sit on her chair. Watch it here, created by Bernstein-Rein.

It’s man vs. performance machines in an interactive campaign for GE. The brand engaged viewers online during the Super Bowl, inviting them to a competition that pitted NFL football players against GE super machines. The goal was to help the athletes win each competition against products like a locomotive, microwave or jet engine. Gamers used their keyboard, mouse or voice to help players win. Check out a demo here. BBDO New York created the campaign.

Waterborne illnesses kill almost 4,000 children every day worldwide. Now in its sixth year, The U.S. Fund for UNICEF launched its annual UNICEF Tap Project to raise money to provide clean drinking water for children. Tap Project teams up with restaurants across the U.S. during World Water Week, March 19-25, inviting patrons to donate $1 or more for the usually complimentary tap water. One dollar can provide a child with access to clean water for 40 days. Artist Tavis Coburn created the print ads, a take on WWII propaganda poster art. Each ad has a hand cupped around a glass of water, with varying copy. “Take a stand by sitting down” and “Saving lives while saving room for dessert” read two posters. See them here, here, here and here, created by Droga5.

GARP (Global Association of Risk Professionals) launched a print campaign that illustrates the aftermath of the financial crisis as a real punch in the face. Men take a direct hit in an effort to promote GARP’s education and training qualification programs. “How can a financial institution avoid being blindsided,” reads one ad. The campaign is running in the US, UK, China, India and Singapore. See the ads here and here, created by The Gate Worldwide New York.

Random iPhone App of the week: Toyota Belgium launched the Adventure Discount App to promote the Toyota RAV4 Black Edition. The app sends players to the most remote regions of Belgium in an effort to rack up a hefty discount off a RAV4 Black purchase, up to  €5,000. Players drive to their intended location, log in to the app, and then their discount is calculated. If players are happy with the amount, they can click the buy button to receive an email voucher redeemable at dealerships in Belgium. If unsatisfied, they keep on trucking to the next desolate location. The higher the altitude or proximity to a dangerous river, for example, the larger the discount. Happiness Brussels created the app, available in the App Store.