• by Amy Corr , Staff Writer @MediaPostOTL, January 24, 2007

Choosing between an old woman and an M&M, I look better as an M&M. Au Bon Pain bows a complete brand launch. Are you a Mitchum Man? Let's launch!

The Second Coming is here, and I'm ready. Promoting the launch of the Air Force 25 shoe, Nike launched a TV, print, outdoor and online campaign. The TV spot features a bevy of NBA players, such as LeBron James (where isn't he lately?), Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash. The gaggle of players walk past a set of airplanes to make their way to an airplane hangar that's been transformed into a basketball court. Watch the ad here. There's also a Web site where users can create their own Nike ad using frames from the ad, outtakes and a variety of music choices to mash up the ideal commercial. The finished product can then be sent to friends and watched on mobile devices. The mashup site is being supported online only, through links on MTV.com and Slam.com. Wieden+Kennedy New York created the print, outdoor and TV ads and handled the offline media buying. Wieden+Kennedy New York and Portland created the Web site and Avenue A handled the online media buy.

Taylor Guitars is launching a consumer ad campaign next month in issues of Guitar World, Acoustic Guitar, 20^th Century Guitar, and American Songwriter that makes me want to take up guitar playing again. The company has reorganized its product line into three distinct lines: acoustic, acoustic/electric and electric. One ad positions a guitar as a building alongside copy, "Big sound for a big world." Another ad features a guitar as, presumably, a part of the Golden Gate Bridge. "Two worlds. One link between them," says the ad. "Pure sound. Captured," says the last ad, my personal favorite, featuring a guitar bottled up in a jar on a windowsill flanking jars of butterflies. Click here, here and here to see the ads. VitroRobertson handled all aspects of the campaign.

M&M's can make the day a little brighter if you're having a bad day. Getting in touch with your inner M&M is not a bad thing, according to a campaign launched last week, consisting of TV, online and print components. The ad shows ordinary people doing ordinary things and imagines what they'd look like as M&M's. Even M&M's enjoy walking their dogs, going to the movies and photocopying their behinds. Watch the ad here. The first of many prints ads to complement the campaign has launched, featuring the first celeb to embrace his inner M&M, Burt Reynolds from his "Smokey and the Bandit" days. Click here to see the ad. Ads drive users to the BecomeAnMM.com Web site, where users can bring their inner M&M to life. Visitors can choose from a range of M&M's candy shapes, colors, hair, facial features and accessories to aptly define their persona. Users can also play games in an arcade, add their Inner M to a photo gallery and share their creations with the world. Look for a virtual store in the future to create items such as customized mugs, mouse pads, shirts and stamps. BBDO New York created the campaign, MediaVest handled the TV buy, mediaedge:cia handled the print buy and The Barbarian Group created the Web site.

Age-o-Matic.com, a Web site launched by Careerbuilder.com, shows the brave souls who upload pictures of themselves what they'll look like in 50 years if they stay at their dead-end job. It ain't pretty. Once I stopped weeping openly, I reread some of the questions asked by the Age-o-Matic, and found them quite amusing. One question asks, "For lunch I: a) eat belly button lint b) steal from the fridge or c) eat leftover leftovers." Users can then send talking e-mail messages of their aged selves to friends and family. I'd think twice about sending this to the boss. Cramer-Krasselt created the site.

Nokia 6133 launched a Web site, part "2001: A Space Odyssey" and part old-school video game Pong, that promotes the phone's push-to-start button, where only one hand is needed to open the phone. The site pits the right hand against the left in a series of games where the victor is given control of the push-to-start button. The site opens with a serious video showing how the left and right hands are used to work together -- how can you use "The Clapper" with only one hand? Users can play three games: Hand Tennis, Hand Racing and Hand Blast. My left hand won two out of three, which is ironic since I'm a righty. The left hand does know what the right hand is doing. Lowe Roche, Toronto created the site.

Jeep Compass launched "City Man" last week, a 30-second TV spot where the Compass cruises the city with company on its back. Watch it here. The opening of the ad reminded me of this spot for Travelers Insurance. Let me know if you agree. Print ads also promote the maneuverability of the Compass; one ad features a surfer, the other a yoga practitioner. Click here and here to see the ads. "Surfer" is running in this month's issue of ESPN and "Yoga" can be found in issues of Self and Jane. BBDO Detroit created the campaign and PHD handled the media buy.

Mitchum has launched a "Man o'Meter" Web site where men can put their testosterone levels to the test. Visitors to the site take an interactive video survey from "Nina," who gauges manliness in areas such as favorite hobbies, dream cars, jobs, sports heroes and activities on an ideal date. If Nina likes your answer, she'll reveal a little more skin. If you take too long to answer a question, she'll call you out. I took the survey and my new nickname is "Money." Why do I suddenly feel the need to rent "Swingers"? Carat Fusion created the site.

Au Bon Pain launched a series of in-store ads to set the tone for the brand's redesign. Simple creative and copy highlight the chain's hazelnut coffee, roast beef and herb cheese sandwich, pumpkin muffin, and a salmon and wasabi cream cheese sandwich. Anything with wasabi works for me. "Joe, meet Hazel," "Smile and say herb cheese," "Feel all warm and pumpkiny inside," and "Wake up and smell the wasabi," says the ads. Click here, here, here and here to see them. Full Contact created the ads. Watch out for print and outdoor ads later this year, a first for Au Bon Pain.