• by Amy Corr , Staff Writer @MediaPostOTL, July 18, 2007

Ellen Ripley would rather watch DirecTV than fight aliens. Clearasil brings out the cockiness in teenagers. Old Spice tackles an oft-found conundrum. Let's launch!

Verizon Wireless teamed up with FOX's reality show "On The Lot" with a set of TV and cinema ads instructing viewers that additional content can be viewed after each show on Verizon phones. Sure, 63 people tune in to this show, but the ads ran in movie theatres! That'll broaden the audience for the ads, at least. "Director's Chair" plops an aspiring director in the almighty seat. Madness ensues. Actors won't act, writers disapprove of changes, and the only one that loves you is your agent. Watch the ad here. "Clock It" shows a father directing his daughter, wife and family pet. "Ok, that's a wardrobe change," says the dad to his daughter as she's about to leave the house. Click here to watch.McCann-Erickson New York created the campaign and Zenith Media handled the media buying.

Clear skin brings out the confidence in people, namely teenagers. Playing off this fact, Clearasil launched two TV spots highlighting this newfound confidence and the brand's line of products meant for daily use. I simply love these ads. A teenage boy brings his friend home in "Mom." The friend does a reverse "Mrs. Robinson" seduction, telling the woman he's "really good company" now that her husband is out of the picture. Watch the ad here. "Baby Photos" begins innocently enough, with a mom showing her teenage daughter's date embarrassing childhood photos. When the requisite naked-in-the-bathtub pictures surface, the daughter pipes up and says, "You should see me now." Click here to watch. "Mom" launched last week and "Baby Photos" launches Aug. 13. In addition, be sure to check out the campaign's online component. Euro RSCG Worldwide New York created the campaign and Euro RSCG 4D created the Web site.

Call me a broken record, but I just love these DirecTV ads. OK, maybe not all of them. The "Star Trek" one didn't do it for me (Shatner is better used in Priceline ads); I didn't like the Jessica Simpson spot (not a fan of hers); and the Pamela Anderson "Baywatch" ad didn't show what she's famous for: running in slow motion. But I do like the latest ad, featuring Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley from "Aliens." Ripley's about to engage in some human-to-alien combat that's preventing her from watching her DirecTV. The spot ends with Ripley likening an alien ass-kicking to dumping cable. Watch the ad here.Deutsch created the campaign and handled the media buying.

Some people go a tad overboard when they like a certain color. Dell is here to feed that need. The ad promotes Dell's Inspiron 1420, a laptop that comes in a rainbow of colors: green, blue, yellow and pink. Each laptop color meshes with the personalities of the characters in the ad. I do love the cold fishermen dressed in yellow rain slickers watching a burning fireplace on their yellow laptop. Click here to watch.Mother New York created the ad, its first work for Dell. PMI handled the media buying.

Zippo launched an online and print campaign commemorating the company's 75th anniversary. The ads use the tagline, "Every Zippo tells a story," and that's exactly the gist of this campaign. Print ads pay tribute to Zippo owners, offering a snippet of their stories about what their Zippo means to them. Creative features Zippo memorabilia, from historic lighters, fragments of old advertising and custom-designed lighters. At the Web site ZippoStories.com, each clickable Zippo tells a story. My personal favorite? In the Military section, a Vietnam vet describes how his Zippo saved his life. Click here and here to see the ads, running in Iron Horse, Rolling Stone and Maxim. Blattner Brunner created the campaign and handled the media buy.

So you're in the shower, singing your new favorite song (for me, it's Rhianna's "Umbrella") and you're about to lather up when you see it. Mildew in the shower? No. Pubes on the soap. How to prevent this? Use a washcloth, perhaps? No. Old Spice has the solution in the form of a body wash now available in the classic scent. Click here to watch "Short Hair." Wieden+Kennedy Portland created the campaign and handled the media buy.

The Wexley School for Girls expanded its brand presence by launching its very own line of T-shirts bearing the Wexley logo. "Click on a shirt to up your sexley," says WexleyWear.com, where visitors can purchase shirts in various colors and a onesie for the little sexley. The intergalactic-themed site offers just logo tees for now, but the agency has artists and musicians lined up to create new designs.

Without the grizzly bear, California would be a state run by squirrels, pigeons, turtles and groundhogs, says an ad for the San Francisco Zoo. The ad promotes "Grizzly Gulch," a new home for the animals at the zoo. Watch the ad here.BBDO West created the campaign and media buying and planning was handled in-house.