This is the first time I’ve seen a company challenge the uber-popular and crazy-expensive Beats by Dre brand. But JBL Synchros does just that in “The Walk,” although its S700 Headphones are just as pricey. The brand encourages consumers to choose sound over fashion and not be easily swayed by headphones that offer a variety of wild colors and were created by a doctor (Dr Dre).  “Let’s face it. You don’t need to be a doctor to know that trends fade. But true sound never does,” says the voiceover, as a small …

A Nissan Rogue goes a little, well, rogue, on a morning commute. Carpooling friends, riding in a redesigned Rogue, go off the grid during their morning commute. Rather than sit in traffic, the Rogue takes detours we only wish we could take en route to the office. The Rogue jumps atop a commuter train and rides it until reaching the office parking lot, making the coworkers early for work. See it here, created by TBWA\Chiat\Day LA and directed by F. Gary Gray (The Italian Job, Law Abiding Citizen). For M.I.A. fans, …

Gatorade launched “Cadence” on Christmas Day, a 60-second spot that illustrates the dedication and persistence of both professional and everyday athletes. “Winning is” is displayed throughout the ad, while the words “hard work” are chanted throughout the early morning workouts of high school athletes and Major Leaguers like Derek Jeter, Dwyane Wade, Serena Williams and Robert Griffin III. Whether it’s a tough weight workout at the gym, batting practice, running, soccer drills or jumping rope, these athletes give it their all, day in and day out. They stay hydrated with Gatorade and …

I could have used one of these sweaters at MediaPost’s office party and potentially have won the ugly sweater contest. Open created a website where employees of the Toronto-based agency are modeling ugly Christmas sweaters. Each sweater can be yours -- for $99, all of which goes to the charity Windfall, and Open will match every contribution.  My favorite ugly sweater is the festive Jess…tive, complete with Christmas tree and two large red ornaments hanging from each shoulder.

The Martin Agency launched its latest round of "Did You Know" spots for GEICO this week, featuring old-school trickery and auctioneers as grocery store clerks. In “Tricky,” a man tells his date that there is an oldest trick in the book. A flashback to medieval times shows a magician asking his young protégée to look to his right. Obviously, nothing is there and it takes a moment for the man to realize he’s been tricked, much to the delight of his mentor. See it here. There’s also an extended online-only version, …

Taco Bell launched a new product, the grilled stuft nacho, that’s shaped like a nacho chip and filled with everything a nacho lover wants. And it’s portable. It’s shaped ideally for multitaskers, like those who eat and run. In “Getaway,” a teenage boy does just that when his girlfriend’s parents come home early. He hightails it out of his lady’s house, with stuft nacho in tow, and takes an occasional bite while being chased by an irate father and the adorable family dog. “Take the nachos and run,” closes the ad,

This holiday season has been a time for me to learn about new and interesting food and drinks. I had no idea that Oreo balls were a thing – and apparently delicious – and I never knew that Dos Equis eggnog was a festive holiday drink. Thanks to the brand’s Most Interesting Man in the World, I am now in the know. Most Interesting Man is the star of an online video promoting Dos Equis’ Dos Nog, made with Dos Equis Ambar. He is writing his friend – using a quill pen …

Canadians are serious about hockey and beer. Last year, Molson Canadian beer traveled throughout Europe with a fridge stocked with beer. The catch was opening it; a Canadian passport had to be scanned for the fridge to open and beer to be shared. This year, the beer fridge went to a more remote location -- the Gili Islands, Indonesia -- to reunite three friends. This 2:45 video follows two Canadians traveling to Indonesia with a red fridge full of Molson Canadian and a satellite system so their transplanted friend can watch …

Meineke has launched its first rebranding campaign since opening almost 40 years ago with a series of TV spots starring Robby Novak of viral video “Kid President” fame as Meineke’s “Kid Mechanic.” He teaches drivers, in an ever-so adorable way, that a general upkeep of one’s car can save them from future disasters down the road. In one ad, Kid Mechanic likens cars to UFOs because they pick people up but nobody really knows how they work. Watch it here. The next ad describes an oil change in layman – or …

Random App of the week: Ever wonder what it was like at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago?  The Field Museum allows users to do just that with an app promoting Opening the Vaults: The Wonders of the 1893 World’s Fair Exhibit. Created by DDB Chicago, the campaign teases imagery from 1893 and allows people to actually see, via mobile device, what people saw back then. The exhibit was created with artifacts from the Field's own storage rooms. The app also allows museum-goers to build personalized tours and access exclusive content like video content …