Dodge Charger's "Man's Last Stand"

So just now I had my tv on as background noise while I was typing out some notes, and I can honestly say that I had been paying no attention to what was on. Randomly however, a commercial came on that caught my attention. Thank god for PVR, because I was able to rewind and see what it was that turned my head.

It was the Dodge Charger Super Bowl ad that I somehow missed a few weeks ago. This spot, by Wieden & Kennedy Portland (Is it just me or does it seem that a lot of talked-about ads are coming out of this agency?) is a string of "sacrifices" men have to make. It shows a series of 4 different men staring blankly into the camera as the voice of Michael C. Hall of Dexter names off these so called sacrifices, such as "I will get up and walk the dog at 6:30am. I will eat some fruit as part of my breakfast. I will shave. I will clean the sink after I shave. I will be at work by 8am. I will sit through 2 hour meetings. I will say yes when you want me to say yes." ...blahblahblah - woe is me, ending with, "And because I do this, I will drive the car I want to drive." Cue macho shots of car speeding down the highway. "Charger. Man's last stand."

Sure this ad really did catch my attention while a series of others didn't, but I can certainly say that it is not my favorite ad of 2010 and it really doesn't make me want a Charger. Sorry Wieden & Kennedy. I do love a lot of your stuff though.

Procter & Gamble's "To Their Moms"

So when I first saw this spot (by Wieden + Kennedy Portland), I was wondering what the hell it was about. This minute long ad features children throughout different events in the Olympics - press conferences, signing autographs, the athlete march, shaving their faces, getting bandaged up, skiing, figure skating, playing hockey, luging, the list goes on, but by now I think by now you get the point. At first it made me think of that annoying Wonderbread commercial. You know the one - where a bunch of sets of twins dressed up like Olympic athletes taste supposedly healthier bread and say they taste no difference. But this ad isn't annoying... not a bit.

It then ends with "To their moms, they'll always be kids."

My mom decided to switch to Tide. Good job Procter & Gamble, good job.

Heinz Mayonnaise "Spaghetti"

This amazing Heinz mayonnaise ad is the genius work of Leo Burnett in Brussels. Seriously, I love it. This print ad was first seen in June 2007 in Belgium. It features a plate of spaghetti..... But is it really spaghetti? Hint: "Heinz Mayonnaise: Now in a squeeze bottle."

Apparently I'm not the only one who loves this. It won a Bronze Lion in the 2007 Cannes Festival.

I know I know.. I'm 2 and a half years late on this one. But oldies can be goodies.

Snickers' "Road Trip"

If you know the ad industry or football at all, then you know about BBDO's Snickers commercial during the Super Bowl a couple of weeks ago featuring Betty White. (If you're still behind on the times, Betty White is playing football with a bunch of young men, being all sassy and such. She eats a Snickers and suddenly becomes a young man, with the headline "You're not you when you're hungry.")

Well this post isn't on that commercial of course, but on the second installment of what may be a big new campaign for Snickers.

In this spot, a few young guys are driving along with Aretha Franklin. But it's not actually Aretha - no, but Jeff - just another one of the boys acting like a "diva" because he's hungry. He eats a Snickers and turns back into the boy... yet suddenly Liza Manelli is in the front passenger seat. Again - "You're not you when you're hungry."

Will this ad get close to 400,000 people begging either Aretha Franklin or Liza Manelli to host Saturday Night Live (like they did to Betty White)? Probably not. But it's an interesting campaign.

Prada/Love Magazine's "The Love Thing"

Annoying dance music? Check.
Anorexic models? Check.
Bare female chest? Check.
Bizarre background? Check.
Corny title? Check.
Lack of relatablity? Check.
This post in alphabetical order? Check.

James Lima's spot for Prada and Love Magazine.

And yes, I know relatability isn't an actual word.

Motorola "Megan Fox"

The title of this commercial by Anomaly New York pretty much says it all. Sexy Megan Fox sits in a tub with her Motorola phone explaining how she can cruise her network or something along those lines - who knows? The point is it's Megan Fox in a tub. She continues to take a picture of herself and wonders what would happen if she sent it out, followed by clips of men who receive this picture.

I get the whole celebrity endorsement thing...... but really?



PS Megan Fox had a thumb double because her thumbs are too stumpy? I knew she couldn't be entirely perfect!

Volkswagen "Punch Dub"

Deutsch Los Angeles' new Super Bowl spot for the Volkswagen is fun and lighthearted - and I'm pretty sure my manager over the summer plays one of the cops, which is pretty cool. This spot features a bunch of different people in different situations playing the Punch Buggie game. They hit someone else whenever a Volkswagen goes by. Is this an extremely creative and innovative commercial? God no. But it is cutesy and fun. Check it out.

Coke "Sleepwalker"

The Super Bowl brings in both great and awful commercials every year. This was one of the cuter ones. Wieden and Kennedy Portland's 60 second spot (that's something like $5.2 million) for Coca Cola (mmm!) features a man sleepwalking through the dangerous African savannah as his subconscious pulls him towards the refreshing bottle of Coca Cola (can you tell I'm a fan?). He passes by a leopard, walks into an elephant, just avoids a snake, and pets the head of a hyena. Cute.

Google "Parisian Love"

So this commercial by Google Creative Lab is totally sappy. And maybe it's the recent fight with my boyfriend that makes me a little teary when I see it (no, I haven't actually cried!), but I love it.

Not only is this ad adorable, but it's also Google's first commercial and the first commercial of writer Tristan Smith. It aired last night during the Super Bowl. This spot features the Google homepage as a series of searches is performed. First the character searches how to study abroad in France, followed by a series of things including how to impress a French woman. Soon diamond rings, churches, and how to assemble a crib are also searched.

What did I say? Sappy, yet adorable.