Super Bowl 43: Pepsi Refresh Anthem

Bob Dylan and Will.I.Am, both innovative political activists as well as music artists, conjoin in this ad to show you how times have changed, while remaining basically the same. Ray-Bans are back in style, people are still coming home from wars to hug their children, skateboarding is still gravity-defying, the martial arts culture continues to attract attention, people put their lights up at concerts, surfing is still hip, kids still cram into cars, walls are still scrawled upon, green animated characters continue to entertain us, chubby movie stars get laughs, strange dancing still attracts a crowd, and revolutions rage throughout the country.

Pop culture icons I have identified include Bruce Lee, Gina Carano, Gumbi, Shrek, Jake Blues (The Blues Brothers), and Jack Black.

I'm beginning to see Pepsi's logic with the new logo. They don't want Pepsi to appear as the old 90s and 00s Pepsi. They want a totally reinvented message, while still sticking to their roots. Their revolution. With this method they can stay "forever young" and continue to prosper.

Guru Grade: 8.5 / 10

Click to see the full credits
Credits:
Client: Pepsi
Agency: TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles
Global Director of Media Arts: Lee Clow
Executive Creative Director: Rob Schwartz
CD/Copywriter: Brett Craig
Creative Director: Joe Shands
Art Director: Bill Hornstein
Copywriter: Anthony DeCarolis,
Eric Fahrenkopf
Director of Broadcast: Richard O?Neill
Agency Executive Producer: Anh-Thu Le
Agency Senior Producer: Mila Davis
Agency Producer: Rob Saxon
Production Company: MJZ
Director: Dante Ariola
Executive Producer: Jeff Scruton
Producer: Natalie Hill
Director of Photography: Chris Soos
Editorial Company: Rock Paper Scissors
Editor: Kirk Baxter
Producer (Editorial): Mike Goble
Executive Producer (Editorial): CL Weaver
Online/VFX: Method Studios
VFX Executive Producer: Helen Hughes
VFX Producer: Scott Boyajan
VFX Creative Director: Alex Frisch
VFX Supervisor: Gil Baron
CG Supervisor: Andy Boyd
Lead Compositor: Jake Montgomery
Mix: Play Studios
Executive Producer (Play): Sara Hartman
Mixer: John Bolen

Super Bowl 43: Doritos Ad Contest

Doritos hosted an ad contest. After narrowing the submissions down to five, the winner has been voted on and will appear during the game. Click here to see the top five submissions.

Here's how I rank them:

1. Power of the Crunch
2. The Chase
3. Free Doritos
4. Too Delicious
5. New Flavor Pitch

EDIT- I guess they couldn't decide on just one?

During/before the game I saw "New Flavor Pitch" (Beer flavored Doritos ad which appeared to be designed for a local college TV station, not funny at all), "Power of the Crunch" (which was pretty well done, probably didn't have to end like it did), and "Free Doritos" (shown below.)



Also known as "Doritos Crystal Ball," this ad is currently at the top of the prestigious USA Today 2009 Ad Meter, earning the makers of the spot $1 million from Frito Lay for making the most-liked ad of this year's Super Bowl. Two unemployed brothers from Batesville, Indiana created the ad for Doritos' Crash the Super Bowl contest.

The first joke, with the crystal ball being chucked through the vending machine, was admittedly funny. But I think the second throw to the nuts was trite and overdone.

Guru Grade: 6.5 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Denny's

It's Nanner Puss! Er Nannerpus? I was blown away by the silliness of this ad. It's a wonderful little ad. I like when his flailing banana tentacles knock off one of his googly eyes.

Guru Grade: 7.5 / 10



Here we see some thugs and gangsters trying to talk over breakfast, but keep getting interrupted by the whipped-cream-squirting waitress. Denny's proves that they want to "get serious" about breakfast by revealing to America that it will offer a free Grand Slam meal to everybody who comes in on Tuesday, February 3 from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. I'll be there!

Guru Grade: 6 / 10



This ad mocks other breakfast establishments' attempts to sweeten up the first meal of the day with commodities such as whipped cream and funnel cake. You're sad. Your wallet is sad. Your food should be sad too.

Guru Grade: 4.5 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Cars.com

David Abernathy is the man. By the way, an anagram of David Abernathy is "vibrant heady ad." Coincidence?!

I like the story-telling concept, something that is only possible with longer (60 second) ads and a little bit of elbow grease. The plot seems like the perfect movie script. This one should go over extremely well with the masses.

Guru Grade: 8.5 / 10

Super Bowl 43: General Electric Scarecrow

GE takes a modern spin on the Wizard of Oz's "If I Only Had a Brain" to demonstrate how they're using energy in an intelligent way with their smart grid technology. Instead of straw, the Scarecrow is made up of circuits and wires. An illuminated city in the distance takes the place of Oz.

This is one of the many Super Bowl commercials heavily laden with computer animation. GE does a good job of "keeping it real," if you will... by displaying images that somewhat pertain to the product or service they provide.

Random factoid: the original book "The Wizard of Oz" figuratively represented US politics in the late 19th century.

Guru Grade: 7.5 / 10

Click to see the full credits
Credits:
Client: GE
Agency: BBDO, New York
Chief Creative Officer: David Lubars,
Bill Bruce
Executive Creative Director: Don Schneider
Senior Creative Director/Art Director: Ted Shaine
Senior Creative Director/Copywriter: Tom Darbyshire
Director of TV Production: Regina Ebel
Assistant Producer: Regina Iannuzzi
Director of Music: Rani Vaz
Production Company: Traktor
Director: Traktor
Editorial Company: Crew Cuts
Editor: Sherri Margulies
Animation Company: Framestore
Music Company: DHMA
VFX: Framestore, New York
VFX Head of Production: Laney Gradus

Super Bowl 43: Sobe Lizard Lake

This is the two dimensional version of the soon-to-be first ever 3D TV commercial! (Click here to find out where you can get a pair of glasses to view it properly.)

Football stars Ray Lewis, Matt Light, and Justin Tuck put on a dainty ballet-- until it is crashed by the SoBe lizards and characters from Monsters vs. Aliens. If you liked the commercial, you might want to watch the making-of video.

The song sounds like T-Pain, but anyone can achieve that sound now-a-days so who knows.

Guru Grade: 6.5 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Coca-Cola Heist

This is the second ad that will air on Super Bowl Sunday. (Click here for the other.) I'm once again impressed with the animation. A slew of bugs and insects raid a picnic to plunder a Coke. Reminiscent of the happiness factory spots. It's just awesomely done... how can you knock it?

The name of the song is the composition "Peter and the Wolf" by Sergei Prokofiev, done by sound production company Stimmung.

Also, watch out for a remake of the 1979 football spot, where the kid gives Mean Joe Green a Coke and gets his jersey in return. Only the new one will be for Coke Zero and will star Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu. (Here it is.)

Guru Grade: 8 / 10

Click to see the full credits
Credits:
Client: Coca-Cola
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland
Creative Director: Hal Curtis,
Sheena Brady
Art Director: James Moslander,
Lee Jennings
Copywriter: Marc D'Avignon
Senior Agency Producer: Matt Hunnicutt
Production Company: Psyop
Director: Psyop
Creative Director (Psyop): Todd Mueller,
Kylie Matulick
Director of Photography: Stephen Blackman
Executive Producer (Psyop): Neysa Horsburgh
Live Action Producer: Michael Schlenker
VFX Supervisor/CG Lead Artist: Andrew Romatz
VFX Supervisor/Lead Flame Artist: Thibault Debaveye
2D Supervisor: Lane Jolly
Animation Lead: John Velazquez
Editor: Brett Nicoletti
VFX Producer: Tina Chiang
Fluid Simulation: Scanline VFX
Music/Sound Design: Stimmung
Mix: Lime Studios

Super Bowl 43: Go Daddy Enhanced/Shower

Go Daddy has produced two spots for the Super Bowl, and they let you vote on which one they would air during the Super Bowl. The votes have been calculated, but the winner won't be announced until game day. Which one would you have chosen?

Go Daddy Girl Danica Patrick reveals "enhancements" vs. Go Daddy Girl Danica Patrick in the shower

Check out GoDaddy.com to see the ads, both TV and Internet-only versions.

Last year (or two years ago?) we were presented with similar directions. I believe it was one of the most massive cock teases in the history of this earth, with millions logging on to see some skin, only to be tortuously let down.

A proper Guru Grade will be granted once I see what happens...

Super Bowl 43: Heineken Warrior

John Turturro returns in another spot for Heineken's Give Yourself a Good Name campaign. The Super Bowl commercials are really starting to pile up now...

The diction in this ad is much more enjoyable than the other one. My favorite line:

"This is not a beer. This is a sword. Wield it with honor... *huttuh!* Or cut yourself off."

That's one of the most clever ways I've ever seen the message "Drink responsibly" conveyed so discretely and in an entertaining way. Well done.

The name of the song is "Higher Than the End" by Twi the Humble Feather. The music brings it all together and gives the commercial a nice warm feeling.

Guru Grade: 7 / 10

Click to see the full credits
Credits:
Client: Heineken
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland
Executive Creative Director: Mark Fitzloff,
Susan Hoffman
Creative Director: Joe Staples
Copywriter: Jennie Hayes
Art Director: Jimm Lasser,
Max Erdenberger,
Matt Murphy
Agency Executive Producer: Ben Grylewicz
Agency Producer: Hayley Goggin
Production Company: Epoch Films
Director: Stacy Wall
Executive Producer: Mindy Goldberg,
Doug Halbert,
Charlie Cocuzza
Producer: Jeff McDougal
Editor: Tommy Harden
Post Production/Editorial Company: Whitehouse,
Joint Editorial
Post Producer: Justin Kumpata,
Patty Brebner
Audio Post Production: POP Sound
Audio Post Producer: Tim West
VFX: Ring of Fire,
Casey Conroy
VFX Executive Producer: John Myers
Online Editor/Flame Artist: Shelly Dutcher
Flame Artist: Trent Shumway,
Tony Graf
Music Artist: Twi the Humble Feather
Song: Higher Than The End
Album: Music for Spaceships and Forests

Super Bowl 43: Pepsi Max

When I first saw this, I thought all of these tough guys were saying "I'm good" because they drank a Pepsi Max and were energized beyond belief, causing them to feel no pain. Instead, the tendency to avoid injury is simply a manly generalization in this new spot for Pepsi Max. They've dropped the "diet" out of the name along with the introduction of their new logo. This one should go over well with the football crowd.

Guru Grade: 6.5 / 10

Click to see the full credits
Credits:
Client: Pepsi Max
Agency: TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles
Global Director of Media Arts: Lee Clow
Executive Creative Director: Rob Schwartz
Creative Director: Brett Craig,
Joe Shands
Art Director: Susan Alinsangan
Copywriter: Ron Schlessinger
Director of Broadcast: Richard O?Neill
Agency Executive Producer: Anh-thu Le
Agency Senior Producer: David Hoogenakker
Production Company: Epoch Films
Director: Matt Aselton
Executive Producer: Charlie Cocuzza
Producer: Marc Marrie
Director of Photography: Tami Reiker
Editorial Company: Venice Beach Editorial
Editor: Dan Bootzin
EP/Producer (Editorial): Hunter Conner
Online/VFX: The Mill
VFX Executive Producer: Ben Hampshire
VFX Producer: Asher Edwards
VFX Supervisor/Lead Flame Artist: Giles Cheetham
Flame Artist: Ross Goldstein
Lead CG Artist: John Leonti
Mix: Play Studios
Executive Producer (Play): Sara Hartman
Mixer: John Bolen


Next up: a monkey.



What is this, a reject from the first spot?

Guru Grade: 3.5 / 10

Click to see the full credits
Credits:
Client: Pepsi Max
Agency: TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles
Global Director of Media Arts: Lee Clow
Executive Creative Director: Rob Schwartz
Creative Director: Brett Craig,
Joe Shands
Art Director: Susan Alinsangan
Director of Braodcast: Richard O?Neill
Agency Executive Producer: Anh-thu Le
Agency Senior Producer: David Hoogenakker
Production Company: Epoch Films
Director: Matt Aselton
Executive Producer: Charlie Cocuzza
Producer: Marc Marrie
Director of Photography: Tami Reiker
Editorial Company: Venice Beach Editorial
Editor: Dan Bootzin
EP/Producer (Editorial): Hunter Conner
Online/VFX: The Mill
VFX Executive Producer: Ben Hampshire
VFX Producer: Asher Edwards
VFX Supervisor/Lead Flame Artist: Giles Cheetham
Flame Artist: Ross Goldstein
Lead CG Artist: John Leonti
Mix: Play Studios
Executive Producer (Play): Sara Hartman
Mixer: John Bolen


And one more. These people act like the new Pepsi Max is the blood of God. Is it really that good?



Guru Grade: 4.5 / 10

Click to see the full credits
Credits:
Client: Pepsi Max
Agency: TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles
Global Director of Media Arts: Lee Clow
Executive Creative Director: Rob Schwartz
Creative Director: Brett Craig,
Joe Shands
Art Director: Susan Alinsangan
Copywriter: Ron Schlessinger
Director of Broadcast: Richard O?Neill
Agency Executive Producer: Anh-thu Le
Agency Senior Producer: David Hoogenakker
Production Company: Epoch Films
Director: Matt Aselton
Executive Producer: Charlie Cocuzza
Producer: Marc Marrie
Director of Photography: Tami Reiker
Editorial Company: Venice Beach Editorial
Editor: Dan Bootzin
EP/Producer (Editorial): Hunter Conner
Online/VFX: The Mill
VFX Executive Producer: Ben Hampshire
VFX Producer: Asher Edwards
VFX Supervisor/Lead Flame Artist: Giles Cheetham
Flame Artist: Ross Goldstein
Lead CG Artist: John Leonti
Mix: Play Studios
Executive Producer (Play): Sara Hartman
Mixer: John Bolen

Protest to Get There

I've never heard of Protest. They're a snow boarding brand "boardwear" company... I think. Not a bad spot. I can appreciate the idea. It's definitely something I would want to watch again. Click here for a link to their website.

The name of the song is "To the Dogs or Whoever" by Josh Ritter.

Credits:
Director: Daniel Eskils
Agent: Adamsky, www.adamsky.se
Producer: Johan Junker, www.eskils.com
Agency: KesselsKramer, Amsterdam
Art Director: Ewoudt Boonstra
Copywriter: Zack McDonald
Production Company: Partizan, London
DP: Erik Sohlström

Guru Grade: 7 / 10

Super Bowl 43: Pedigree Strange Pets

Meh. I didn't really enjoy this one. It might have been fine for another time, but this is the Super Bowl. Step it up!

"Ever think about getting an unusual pet like a bison, a boar, an ostrich or a rhino? See what happens to the pet owners in our Super Bowl ad, and then you'll know why you should get a dog."

Guru Grade: 4 / 10

Click to see the full credits
Credits:
Client: Pedigree
Agency: TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles
Director of Media Arts: Lee Clow
Executive Creative Director: Rob Schwartz
Creative Director: Chris Adams,
Margaret Keene
Copywriter: Eric Terchila,
Marcin Markiewicz,
Ted Kapusta
Art Director: Paulo Cruz,
Denise Zurilgen,
Jera Mehrdad
Executive Agency Producer: Guia Iacomin
Assistant Agency Producer: Christopher Spencer
Production Company: Partizan
Director: Traktor
Head Of Production: Rani Melendez
Executive Producer: Sheila Stepanek,
Richard Ulfvengren
Editorial Company: Whitehouse
Editor: Dan Oberle
Music: New Math
Sound: Lime Studios
Sound Design: Rohan Young
VFX Company: MPC

Coca-Cola: Avatar Super Bowl Ad

This one will air during Super Bowl 43. It shows people's virtual characters as a young man walks through the city and sees people on their laptops, PDAs, handheld video game devices, and cell phones. Beautifully animated gremlins, zombies, space people, animals, robots, mythical creatures, super heroes, fairies, spies, and what appears to be an orc from World of Warcraft graze the screen in flawless color. Can somebody tell me where this fantasty land exists -- where one can walk into a shop, sit down, and order a glass bottle of Coke? Seems like a utopia...

This commercial further integrates Coke into our growing digital world. A couple years ago we saw a Grand Theft Auto styled ad from Coca-Cola, and this year they have stepped it up to include a numerous variety of possible avatars people use in their daily lives.

The name of the song is "Stranger in the Crowd" by Cee-Lo Green (of the group Gnarls Barkley.) It's a cover of an Elvis Presley song (1970).

I like this commercial. I think it will cheer people up! "Open happiness" is a double sided slogan, either meaning opening up a can/bottle of Coke, or just the feeling of joy flowing freely throughout the world. I also appreciated the "open" sign on the shop window. It's all planned to enforce their message... amazing!

Also, watch out for a remake of the 1979 football spot, where the kid gives Mean Joe Green a Coke and gets his jersey in return. Only the new one will be for Coke Zero and will star Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu. (Here it is.)

Click here to watch Coke's other Super Bowl commercial.

Guru Grade: 8 / 10

Click to see the full credits
Credits:
Client: Coca-Cola
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland
Executive Creative Director: Mark Fitzloff,
Susan Hoffman
Creative Director: Hal Curtis,
Sheena Brady
Copywriter: Eric Samsel
Art Director: Ken Meyer
Agency Producer: Lindsay Reed
Agency Executive Producer: Ben Grylewicz
Production Company: Nexus Productions
Director: Smith & Foulkes
Director of Photography: Mattias Montero
Executive Producer: Chris O'Reilly,
Charlotte Bavasso
Head Of Production: Juila Parfitt
Producer: Melody Sylvester
Animation: Nexus Productions
Head of 3D Animation: Ben Cowell
Character Design: Mustashrik Mahbub
Storyboard: Adam Beer
Editorial Company: Speade
Editor: Art Jones
Post Production: Framestore
Managing Director: Helen Stanley
Online Producer: Kristy Cleminson
Creative Director (Framestore): Mike McGee
Senior Flame Artist: Will Barlett
Audio Post Production: 750MPH
Engineer: Gary Walker
Audio Post Producer: Syleste Molyneaux
Music: Solitaire Studios
Executive Producer (Music): Monica Tannian
Music Producer: Graham Marsh
Composer: Cee-Lo Green
Sound Design: Stimmung
Sound Designer: Gus Koven
Producer (Stimmung): Jack Catlin,
Kelly Fuller
Animatics: Joint Editorial
Animatics Editor: David Jahns
Executive Producer (Joint): Patty Brebner

Mountain Dew Voltage: Bug Zapper

Gross. Good thing they put that disclaimer in, or I would have sued them after finding my stomach completely and positively normally charged after downing a Mountain Dew Voltage (raspberry citrus flavored, with ginseng.)

This flavor was voted the winner from last year's DEWmocracy. The losing flavors were Supernova (strawberry melon flavored, with ginseng) and Revolution (wild berry fruit flavored, with ginseng.)

The ad directs you to www.dewmocracyvoltage.com, where you can get points and win prizes.

Guru Grade: 6 / 10

Banned: PETA Super Bowl Ad

NBC deemed this spot too racy for the family audiences expected to watch the big game. Their complaints include:

:12- :13- licking pumpkin

:13- :14- touching her breast with her hand while eating broccoli

:19- pumpkin from behind between legs

:21- rubbing pelvic region with pumpkin

:22- screwing herself with broccoli (fuzzy)

:23- asparagus on her lap appearing as if it is ready to be inserted into vagina

:26- licking eggplant

:26- rubbing asparagus on breast

Seems to me like they knew this would get the stamp of disapproval. They probably just did it for the web attention. Either way, I didn't mind the voyeur vegetablism.

Guru Grade: 5 / 10

CareerBuilder Official Super Bowl 2009 Spot

Oh joyous plenty! Brilliance! I hope this is a sign of great things to come.

Career Builder has encapsulated all of these horrid feelings we experience concerning the office and jobs in general. I thought the commercial flowed beautifully and the repetition was a very good way to enhance all those nasty feelings. I couldn't help but laugh out loud when the koala bear got socked and his coffee went all over the place. (Animal rights activists: please don't complain about this. It's a stuffed bear. Don't ruin a good thing.) The production was flawless, and it yielded one of the funniest ads I've seen in a while.

So if you hate going to work every day, your coworkers don't respect you, you always wish you were somewhere else, you cry constantly, you daydream of punching small animals, and you sit next to that guy, enjoy this wonderful ad. It's for you.

Guru Grade: 8.5 / 10

Click to see the full credits
Credits:
Client: CareerBuilder.com
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy, Portland
Executive Creative Director: Mark Fitzloff,
Susan Hoffman
Creative Director: Jason Bagley,
Danielle Flagg
Copywriter: Eric Kallman
Art Director: Craig Allen
Agency Producer: Sarah Shapiro
Production Company: MJZ
Director: Tom Kuntz
Executive Producer: David Zander,
Jeff Scruton
Post Production: Mackenzie Cutler
Editor: Gavin Cutler
Director of Photography: Bryan Newman
Audio Post: POP Sound
VFX Company: Method Studios
Animatronics: Stan Winston Studios
Sound Design: Stimmung
Sound Designer: Gus Koven

Beer Barrage

What good does it do for beer companies to advertise during the big game? Not too much. Most people will have already purchased their crunk juice by then. That's why these advertisers are getting a jump start and have released early ads that are designed to get you into the liquor store and stocked up on their product.

First up is an ad from Heineken starring John Turturro, entitled "Expedition Leader." Give yourself a good name.



Not bad. The philosophical circular logic is humorous and viewers will identify with the actor.
Guru Grade: 6.5 / 10

Next is a spot from Bud Light. It's about a dude who picks up a 6 pack and then encounters some interesting situations involving porn and high school acquantainces.



I wasn't feeling this one. Insert any brand at all and get the same result (but I guess that's true with most any beer commercials.) Frankly, it wasn't funny.
Guru Grade: 4.5 / 10

Last but not least is a little preview of Miller High Life's "1 Second ads" which are set to debut on Super Bowl Sunday. Click the link to watch 'em all.



I'm intrigued to see how these ultra-short ads will do. The general consensus is that they will be up and gone before anyone realizes what's going on, but we shall see...
Guru Grade: 6 / 10

Cadbury Eyebrows Dance

The Rock is so jealous of these kids. Glass and a Half Full presents this hair-raising face dance. The agency responsible is Fallon London.

The name of the song is "Don't Stop the Rock" by Freestyle.

While enjoyably fun to watch, the involvement of Cadbury is nonexistent in this ad. They just found/thought of the idea and slapped their name at the end of it. Even though it will attract the attention of the Youtube generation, I don't think there will be enough brand awareness to generate any results.

Remember that commercial with the Gorilla playing the drums for that Phil Collins song? I could have sworn it was advertising insurance or some bank, but it was for Cadbury. They need to make me remember.

Guru Grade: 5 / 10
Great for an online video, not quite so much for a TV ad.

2009 NHL All-Star Game

Red, white, black, and shades of gray.
Watch them skate, watch them play.
My longing for piano, it doth quench.
As well as brushing up, on my French.
It's an ad for the game, which is on Versus.
I hope you enjoyed this, my short verses.

Guru Grade: 7.5 / 10

Drumstick: Summer Parade

This Australian ad makes me extremely jealous (their Summertime is roughly December through February.)

Some of the content in this commercial, such as the thongs and underwear, probably wouldn't fly in the US. Great spot for down under though. The sun, grills, fly swatters, flip flops, "budgies", sand castles, sprinklers, water balloons, and the famous Drumstick ice cream cone show up in the parade.

Credits:
Client: Nestle
Agency: Publicis Mojo, Melbourne
Creative Director: Darren Spiller
Art Director: Christy Peacock
Copywriter: Leon Wilson,
Sean Larkin
Agency Producer: Corey Esse,
Tuesday Picken
Production Company: Iloura/The Directors Group
Director: Josh Simmonds/Nice Trees
Producer: Sigi Eimutis,
Magdalena Bisogni,
Craig Griffin
Director of Photography: Germain McMicking
Editor: Chris Betteridge

That's Not Fake

www.thatsnotfake.com

Think of it as a crappy Mythbusters for Youtube videos. 'That's Not Fake' debunks online images and video footage and determines whether it is or isn't real. From what I can see on their Wall of Shame, investigations don't seem to get too intense and the facts and explanations are few and unsubstanciated.

Host Martin Mull, a comedian whom I think I recognize from Hollywood Squares, stands in as a knockoff Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman. The show is sponsored by Cadbury. There's no word yet on which station the program will be on, if any.

Guru Grade: 4 / 10

Flash Mob T-Mobile Dance in Liverpool Street Station

Awesomely epic. Flash mobs rank up there as one of the coolest and most unique performance arts in the world.

Over 350 dancers assembled to perform the spontaneous show.

"Life's for sharing."

Guru Grade: 8.5 / 10

Honda Civic Musical Road

I heard about this back in September when it made news for being the only musical road in the United States, but I thought it was getting paved over. Apparently all that music was too much for the locals in Lancaster, California. However, there are reports of the musical road being reestablished.

For more information, be sure to check out their website.

I love quirky art projects like these, but I think the song choice could have been better. The William Tell Overture (theme song of the Lone Ranger) isn't exactly the catchiest tune.

Guru Grade: 4.5 / 10
(Great marketing scheme, but mediocre execution with the TV advert.)

Lebron James Signs with Cleveland Browns

I've always wanted to see what would happen if sports players switched the game they play. Soccer players would be able to make field goals from 100 yards, golfers would hit low balls out of the park, and hockey players would probably all get ejected from the b-ball court. It could be a one day promotional thing between all of the professional sports leagues.

Anyway, Lebron daydreams his way onto the Browns, and at 6'8" weighing in at 250 pounds, his musings are frighteningly possible. Remember when Jordan played baseball?

It doesn't have much to do with State Farm, but who cares? It was entertaining.

Guru Grade: 6.5 / 10

Nike Ad? Featuring Taylor Momsen

I've never heard of her before this, but she's one of the stars of Gossip Girl. I'm just about the last blog in the world to post this, but whatever.

Pretty sure it's a viral video released by Nike. I doubt that little blondie is an actual free runner, a sport which requires extremely demanding physical skills. The parkour is probably performed by a stunt woman, or just digitally enhanced.

Guru Grade: 4.5 / 10

Scion: United By Individuality

I happen to be a moderately big fan of glitch-type music like the audio in these ads. They show samples of the car models, while sampling various music clips. The end product is a beautiful visual sound mixer. Google "Girl Talk" and check out some of his earlier stuff if you're interested in this genre of music.

The songs used in these spots are original, created by Tom Burbank of Face the Music.

The agency responsible for the ads is Attik. They selected some actual customer's cars featured in the commercials, preserving Scion's "United by individuality" tag line. For more information as well as high quality pictures and videos click here.



Once again, our friends at Imaginary Forces pop up! They were responsible for the production.


There should be one more spot featuring xD samples. I'll post a link when it surfaces.

Guru Grade: 7.5 / 10

Full Credits:
Agency: Attik, San Francisco
Creative Director/Director: Simon Needham
Associate Creative Directors: Ron Lim, Stan Zienka
Head of Production: Michele Morris
Production Company/Post Company: Imaginary Forces, Bicoastal
Director: Simon Needham @ Attik
Head of Production: Ben Apley
Art Director: Charles Khoury
Producer: Ila Talubn
Designers/Animators: Tom Allain, Clint Chang, Ko Maruyama
Editor: Justine Gerenstein
Inferno Artist: Nancy Hyland
Colorist: New Hat, Santa Monica
Colorist: Clark Muller
Executive Producer: Darby Walker
Music/Sound Design/Mix Company: Face The Music, Bicoastal
Executive Producer: Adam Joseph
Composer/Sound Designer - xB: Tom Burbank
Mixer: Tom Burbank

Carnival Cruise Lines: Beach Ball World Record

Looks like a blast! They must have had a ball! (Pause for bad-pun-induced groan.) This took place in Dallas, Texas, and it broke the record for the world's largest beach balls. I'm not too sure I would want to be one of those people on the street when it comes bouncing down, but it looks like it was an entertaining thing to be a part of.

Carnival really endorses their "Fun for all. All for fun." mindset with this innovative display.

Guru Grade: 7 / 10

Skittles: Reflect the Rainbow

They keep getting stranger and stranger... but they must work.

Click here for some other weird Skittles ads.

This one is called The Tailor. Anyone have a translation? I think the man was eating the last of the Skittles and his friend was a bit peeved.

UPDATE
Translation:

Customer: Wait. I'm not eating Skittles.

Thai Tailor: Hey! You're not allowed to eat while you're working.

Filipino Mirror: Well, I'm hungry.

Thai Tailor: Ay! I have to tell you again, dummy.

Filipino Mirror: Well, I'm hungry, so of course I'm going to eat.

Thai Tailor: You're so lazy, long back! (Thai slang for lazy)

Filipino Mirror: Son of a bitch, I'm hungry!

Guru Grade: 5 / 10

Super Bowl 43 Commercials Preview

UPDATE: Click here for live Super Bowl 43 commercials coverage!

The Super Bowl is an extremely momentous occasion. It's the ultimate finale for the National Football League championship. Every year, a record amount of viewers tune in to see the two teams face off. Super Bowl Sunday has become a ritual for many Americans, providing a chance to show off new big screen TV's, take a gamble with the office pool, pig out (Super Bowl Sunday is the second-largest U.S. food consumption day), and watch outrageous things happen during the halftime show. But there's one more aspect of the Super Bowl that attracts a great deal of attention-- the commercials, of course! It's the most important advertising day of the year. So to prepare you for the upcoming onslaught of high-profile ads, I have made a list of some things you should know and other stuff that you can expect.

• Date: February 1, 2009
• Location: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida
• Who's Playing: Pittsburgh Steelers at Arizona Cardinals
  
• Network: NBC
• Halftime Performance: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
  
• Cost of a 30-second ad: $3 million

That's right, $3,000,000. Nothing compared to the bailout but c'mon... that's $100,000 a second! The links below lead to pre-released Super Bowl commercials. Be sure to check them out.

• There will be an ad competition between Monster Worldwide (who have not aired a Super Bowl commercial for four years) and careerbuilder.com
• Five minutes of Anheuser-Busch. Budweiser, Bud Light, maybe even Bud Light Lime.
• Coke... (Coke 2) although Pepsi paid a premium to keep them out of the first half.
• Pedigree dog food will air their first ad ever in the Super Bowl.
• Bridgestone will sponsor the halftime show and will run two 30-second ads.
• Cash4Gold, unfortunately, bought a last second slot from NBC
  
• Cars.com has a 60-second ad in the second quarter.
• Doritos will have at least one 30-second ad.
• The E*Trade baby makes a comeback!
• Denny's has two spots
  
• GE, owner of NBC, will run a spot.
• GoDaddy: at least one 30-second ad.
• Hyundai will present two commercials for their Genesis Coupe.
• Castrol Motor oil
• Teleflora flower delivery
  
• The NFL will air one 60-second spot during halftime.
• PepsiCo Beverages are sure to make an appearance with their new branding.
• Audi has a 60-second ad inspired by classic Hollywood chase scenes
  
• Movie trailers: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Star Trek, Monsters vs. Aliens, and 2012
• Heineken
• SoBe
  
• PETA (not)
  

Last year's slew of ads were quite disappointing. Let's hope Super Bowl XLIII has some better prospects.

For a minute-by-minute update of the Super Bowl commercials, be sure to stop by here. I'll be updating live for the first time. So be sure to visit the TV Ad Guru and voice your opinion on the biggest ads of the year!

Heineken Walk-In Fridge

A funny look at the amusement of both sexes. This spot is by TBWA, Neboko. As foreign as it is, the content transcends language barriers and delivers a messege anyone can enjoy.

Guru Grade: 7 / 10

KGB: Knowledge Generation Bureau Commercial

When I first saw this commercial, I thought the Russians were looking for some new secret agents. If you visit the website advertised, you will see that KGB is "a privately held, New York-based company, the world's largest provider of directory assistance and enhanced information services."

www.kgb.com

They have people standing by, ready to answer your questions via the Internet, text messages, and phone calls. Right now they appear to be in Alpha testing. It's probably just a few hundred people who sit on the computer all day typing stuff into Google, Wikipedia, and Yahoo Answers. Looks like a novice search engine at best.

The commercial, while not being too clear on its message yet evoking interest, featured some interesting questions:

Q: What's the capital of New Zealand?
A: Wellington.

Q: What is the 17th Fibonacci (wow, I spelled that right) number?
A: 1597.

Q: Who was Queen Elizabeth's husband? (The first)
A: She never married.

Q: Define bootylicous.
A: Having a round, firm booty.

Q: Who sang "Sugar, Sugar?"
A: The Archies.

Q: Best cheese steak in Philly...
A: Geno's

Q: How many hamsters, standing on each other's shoulders, would it take to reach the moon? (Syrian hamsters)
A: 2,282, 764,988.5

Wowzers.



This one shows the specialization of each KGB member, including a imponderable, who works on questions like "What does a woman want?" At the end it tells you to text questions to 542542. I tried it, and they want 50 cents for each answer. No thanks.

Click here for Episode 3

Guru Grade: 6 / 10

Burger King: The Angry Whopper

BK has started this year off with a bang. I'm truly impressed with the marketing and advertising ploys from the fast food giant.

This commercial shows the brutal upbringing of an abused onion... who one day gets its revenge from mankind by making those who eat Burger King's "Angry Whopper" cry like babies from the sheer spiciness of the dish. I havn't tried one yet, but I'd like to see if they really are that hot.

Another thing I would like to mention about Burger King is their Whopper Sacrifice campaign. They will actually mail you a coupon for a free Whopper if you install their Facebook application and delete 10 of your friends. No, it's not a joke -- I tried it and got the confirmation that my free burger coupon was in the mail. I think this is a hilarious move that will make people reevaluate their virtual social network. Bravo.

Guru Grade: 6.5 / 10

Microsoft's People Ready Campaign

With the tagline "Because it's everybody's business," Microsoft aims to share their business solutions and insights with the world. The video above appears to be a phone interview with Quiksilver's President and CEO Bob McKnight. He's a slang-talkin' surfer dude who benefits from Microsoft's business options. I like the style of these ads because they're very random and stylish. The paper cutout appearance is a fresh vision from Microsoft, whose less-than-spectacular ads from last year failed to impress.



This one features Katie Bayne, Chief Marketing Officer of Coca-Cola (North America.) Another commercial has surfaced, documenting a phone call between the unknown speaker and Bayne, watch it here.



Here we have the co-founder and chief brand architect of Method, Eric Ryan.

The people responsible for the ads are a graphics company called Imaginary Forces. They have offices in Hollywood and New York, and they also had a hand in the 2009 Pepsi Wordplay commercial. Click here to see some of their featured work.

For more information you might want to check out microsoft.com/peopleready

Guru Grade: 7.5 / 10

Ford F-150 Manly Typography

Typography, the art and technique of arranging type and type design, is starting to become popular in commercial advertising. Here we see a dirty, gritty, and rugged display of the English language laid out in a dramatic fashion to advertise the 2009 Ford F-150.

There are at least four other spots from this campaign. They include:

21 MPG. Most Payload
Super Crew: More Interior Room
Trailer Sway Control
Box Side Steps

The beauty typography possesses is hard to describe. It can redefine the way you read and interpret words. As can be seen in these commercials, a manly voice coupled with the words you read (painted and splattered on in all their rough-faced glory) can dictate the vibe received from the scene presented. The way some words enter or leave the frame, the size, color, font, or orientation of the text, and correlating background images all combine to deliver a wonderfully executed piece. Something I hadn't seen since the Starbucks Voting Ad.

Now for the criticism, because I am a pessimistic world-hating individual. Did you really think I was going to let these ads off the hook so easily?

Referring to the first ad (video shown above) - Congratulations, Ford. You just lost the sale of thousands of pencil pushers and hand models across the nation. Sure you may have gotten a righteous "Hell yeah," outta Pete the iron worker, but this line excludes many potential buyers. Maybe not so much the hand models, but "pencil pushers" are a dime a dozen! By the way... gas more expensive than Bourbon? Not any more.

Referring to the ad touting superior fuel economy and horsepower - They make fun of nerds and assume that you, the viewer, are a stereotypical meat head who made C's in school and wondered how those geeky students got straight A's. Well, were they right?

Referring to the Super Crew spot - TAH. You don't need no stinkin' shotgun. Great quote.

Finally, let's talk about the one with the side steps that pop out to help reach the cargo. To try and convince you that this is a must-have feature for your new truck and not just a worthless option, they "do the math" and show you how many times you will really use the extension. Okay, so to "do the math" I expect to see their estimation of how many times a day I'll be in and out of the tailgate, multiplied by 365 days in a year, times however many years they think the truck will last... but that's not what we get. Nothing but a rough end figure of 50 or 60 thousand times. I know this is a picky criticism, but without solid facts and figures presented to me how am I supposed to remain unskeptical?

Overall, these are a great set of commercials for the target market they aim for.

Guru Grade: 8 / 10

H&R Block

I liked the addition of the Tooth Fairy.

Guru Grade: 6 / 10

Audi Q5: Unbox the Box

Here's a spot fresh outta London. So for all you Americans, this is the only place you're gonna see it. What would you do without me, huh?

The new Audi Q5 pokes fun at its "boxy" predecessors with this representation of a figurative redesign.

Audi. Why are you so good? I really enjoyed this commercial. It was a clever idea and simple execution. And the hook: the song that I'm going to be humming for the rest of the day. By the way, it's called "The Car Song" by Woody Guthrie.

Guru Grade: 8 / 10

The Snuggie Infomercial

I love TV. I really do. It's always there for me... even at 4 a.m. when I can't fall asleep or find anything else to do. But I don't watch late (or late late) night television in hopes of finding great new ads to blog about, no sir. Sadly, the early morning ad slots are dominated by the most despicable breed of commercial there is: the infomercial. You can't escape the tube after midnight without being pummeled by Extenz, emersed in Billy Mays, or bothered with moronic inventions like HD vision, electric Amish products, personal noise enhancers, or the next new miracle doodad that will get you into shape with no effort exerted whatsoever. It's the ads like these that generate hate and give TV ads in general a bad name. One reason why I have yet to criticize these types of commercials is because it's too damn easy. Like this one for the Snuggie, a blanket with sleeves.



Wow! Now I can stay warm while talking on the phone and look like an asshat- all at the same time!

Who buys this crap? To answer that question, I have drawn up a logical and honest flow chart.



I really can't see why a simple sweatshirt wouldn't suffice. Also, that Snuggie has to generate enough static electricity to send you into a coma. A well-deserved coma.

If you bought a Snuggie or have ever purchased something from an infomercial like this one, I truly and genuinely hate you.

Guru Grade: 1 / 10
(The only thing keeping it from zero was the slight humor it emanated by assuming anyone on the planet would actually buy their mindless product.)

Pepsi's New Logo Emerges for 2009

Alas, the updated Pepsi logo has made an appearance on national television. The spot reminds me of an iPod commercial, what with the vibrant colors and unknown (yet catchy) song.

By the way, the name of the song is Energy by The Apples in Stereo.

Personally, I think the style of this commercial is soooo 2008. Yo, howdy, aloha, konnichiwa, buon giorno, good morning/evening/day! It's time for optimism and blank blank blank blank? Come on already...

The people responsible for the ads are a graphics company called Imaginary Forces.

At the end of the commercial it directs you to RefreshEverything.com, the platform for their brand relaunch. The majority of people I've talked to don't like the new logo. What do you think?

Guru Grade: 4.5 / 10

Lil Wayne and Gatorade: What's G

With one of the most recognizable voices in modern day music, Lil Wayne has topped the charts and become something of a superstar. His newest venture involves a voice over for Gatorade. They're redesigning their brand and with this campaign, they seem to be making the transformation much smoother than Pepsi.

Celebrity appearances include Dwayne Wade, Serena Williams, Bill Russell, Derek Jeter, Muhammad Ali, the Jabbawokeez, Chaz Ortiz, Kerri Walsh, Misty May-Treanor, Candace Parker, and others.

I was surprised at the end of the commercial, because I was thinking they would show Weezy's face after paying so much to sign him on. I guess his unique voice was enough for them.

Some whiners out there are ragging on the spot because it comes off as rascist. There are an abundance of African Americans in the video, but that claim is a bit outrageous.

Update: Hey, just saw a predominantly white G commercial. Too lazy to list all the people though, sorry!

And as for the appeal of soccer moms, it looks like Gatorade is totally redesigning how they present themselves. They seem to be moving in the direction of the Vitamin Water demographic and out of the little league minivan age bracket.

Click here to watch some more "G" related videos, and check out Gatorade.com

Guru Grade: 7 / 10