HTC - You

More and more cell phone commercials these days... this one doesn't even claim a service provider. This spot is mostly boring until the end: "You don't need to get a phone, you need a phone that gets you." I think this line has so many possibilities, but the ad failed to bring out its true potential.

The song is Sinnerman by Nina Simone (Felix da Housecat Remix).

Guru Grade: 5.5 / 10

Porsche - Family Tree

Porsche has a new automobile on the market: the Panamera (panamera.com) and this is the spot to kick it off. The family tree idea is nice, and I like how it's consistent with the website. It's hard to differentiate the value of cars, but Porsche has a pretty good place in the mind of consumers already anyway. Will this ad sway people to buy a sports car in these bad economic times? Time will tell.

Agency: Cramer-Krasselt/Chicago, USA

Guru Grade: 6.5 / 10

Reese's - Perfect Halloween

While a one word slogan is usually a bad idea, it works great for Reese's. Chocolate peanut butter cups are perfect.

Happy Halloween!

Guru Grade: 7.5 / 10

Orange: Words

This was a powerful video. I think the music really did it... however, the pauses were awkward and they failed to deliver the final "umph". Still not bad.

Guru Grade: 7.5 / 10

Jameson - Lost Barrel

Last night I was watching a new episode of Mythbusters (golf ball-like dimples on your car WILL give you better gas mileage, BTW) and this commercial fell right into my lap. It's a whimsical tale of how a dedicated Irishman battled the sea and its creatures to save a barrel of his whiskey.

A common theme in marketing spirits is highlighting their tradition, and this spot does a great job of instilling that feeling. It also has a giant octopus. What's not to love?

Agency: TBWA\Chiat\Day New York

Guru Grade: 8 / 10

Droid Does - Verizon's iDon't iPhone Mockery

Ohhhh snap. Apple has gotta be wincing at this one. An obvious attack at the iPhone, excellently executed and very exciting for Verizon.

It starts out just like your normal Apple commercial would: white background, a yet-to-be-found indie band singing happily (the song is "Magic (Oh Oh Oh)" by MoZella), and little i's all over the place. It's amazing how many things they picked out that the iPhone can't do. I was a little bit surprised.

The website they direct you to (droiddoes.com) is a teaser and email collector referencing the kind of features that Verizon users have been waiting for. Hooray! Can't wait till November.

Guru Grade: 9 / 10

Fanta - Mime

My friends at Psyop sent me Fanta's new all-animated spot. The story behind it is kind of corny... a virtual girl walks into a window (the graphic designers should have put more gloss on it or something) and gets laughed at by her peers. But don't worry! She does the mime and soon everyone is chanting "Go mime girl, go mime girl". Yay. Oh and drink Fanta.

Didn't like this one. The visual effects were nice, but they could have thought of something relevant. Are the bobble head people supposed to resemble their new goofy shaped bottle?

Guru Grade: 5.5 / 10