Would you rather buy a snack from a vending machine or an actual person? That’s the dilemma ESPN anchor Scott Van Pelt faces in the latest “This is SportsCenter” ad. Since he’s probably on deadline, he opts for a snack from a vending machine in ESPN’s break room. That option doesn’t sit well with the popcorn vendor who’s standing next to the vending machine, hawking his freshly made popcorn that never gets stuck inside a machine. See the ad here, created by Wieden+Kennedy NY.

The Whistler Film Festival, which ran from Nov. 30 to Dec. 4, launched three trailers to promote the type of films moviegoers are likely to find at their event: unexpected. Trailers begin with a predictable Hollywood plot, and then quickly veer off-course. In “Packing Up,” a son says goodbye to his parents as he heads off to college. His father leaves him with unusual parting words: “The body is in the cooler. You know where to dump it. Stay off the main roads, son.” Watch it here. “Princess” begins as a sugary-sweet Disney film, but it’s anything but. Prince Charming scales a wall to rescue his princess, but he’s the one who needs saving. The foul-mouthed little princess runs an impressive drug business and the prince owes her money. Proving that she’s not to be toyed with, she kills her adorable bluebird sidekick, showing the prince what’s she capable of. See it here. Shady things tend to happen in shipyards late at night. This time around, it’s a tender moment, when a tough-looking gangster is reunited with his lover. Watch it here. Dare Vancouver created the campaign.

Welcome to the jungle -- Jaguar’s semi-urban jungle. “Jaguar at Play” shows the XFR, XJL Supersport and XKR-S models driving through forests, desolate streets and industrial buildings. The spot debuted on the NFL Network Dec. 1 and will run stateside on national cable networks like CNN, ESPN and Comedy Central. See the ad here, created by Spark44. 

Dwyane Wade takes flight in “Airborne,” the latest spot for the Jordan brand. With only a few seconds remaining during a basketball game, an opponent steals the ball from Wade. Determined not to let his opponent score, Wade digs deep and hustles down the court, which morphs into a massive skateboarding ramp he must race down, then up the other side. Wade goes airborne, deflects the ball and prevents his opponent from making a seemingly easy basket. Watch the ad here, created by Wieden+Kennedy New York and directed by Ringan Ledwidge.  

Even the 800-pound gorilla in the room has to hang it up someday. AXA Equitable is retiring its memorable spokesanimal, the “800lb gorilla in the room.” A social media campaign on the brand’s Facebook and Twitter pages lets consumers determine where the gorilla lives. Fans can select one of four places he can retire to -- Palm Beach, Napa Valley, Puerto Rico or Asheville, N.C. -- and enter a sweepstakes to win a trip to the destination that receives the most votes. Participants will also be in the running to win one of four Kindle Fires that will be awarded weekly. Renegade created the campaign.

AKQA created a website for Pencils of Promise to help raise funds and awareness to support global education and literacy. Made with Pencils consists of an online auction featuring pencil creations donated by artists, musicians and celebrities. The first auction features work from rapper Lil Jon, Lea Michele, artist Joe Fenton and interior designer Jonathan Adler. There’s also a Pencil Shop where anyone can purchase custom-made Faber pencils in different colors, representing the cost of a specific element of education. For example, a $25 black pencil provides one year of education for one child, while a yellow $25,000 pencil can build an entire school.

Altoids is running an auction of its own, selling items on display in its Hall of Curiosity. Not sure what to get someone for the holidays? How about the Altoids scales of justice, an executive desk set or tin circus diorama? There are plenty of historical relics to view online, like the Golden Altoids Monkey Lamp, whose theft was caught on film. Energy BBDO created the site.

Visiting New York City during the holiday season while avoiding massive crowds at the same time? Visit GoCrowdless.com before you head out. The in-house R&D team at the Neiman Group aggregated Foursquare “check-in” data at 20 of New York’s most popular holiday attractions, to help visitors predict when crowds are most likely to be smallest, and the worst times to avoid. Don’t go to Macy’s at 6 p.m., or ice skating at Rockefeller Center at 7 p.m.

Random iPad App of the week: LEGO DUPLO JAMS is an app that teaches children how to build… interactively. Kids can play with racecars, build with letters and customize their playtime by adding sounds to each playtime category. Created by Pereira & O’Dell and Apptitude, the app is available for free in the App Store.