Online Degree Program Puts Graduates On Plastic Expressway

We can't describe how heartily we dig that the Nextag online degree program makes career options look like our Barbie closet. Dress up like a nurse, a cop or "something else" -- a category for which our imagination holds no bounds (trailer trash and naughty maid, to name a couple).

And you gotta love how the NexTag logo parks "Comparison Shopping" right next to "Degrees." It really all comes down to the same thing, doesn't it?

Anti-War Song (Again) Repurposed -- for a Printer!

Remember the repugnance that was All You Need is Luvs? Get a load of "All you need is hub," courtesy of Konica Minolta for its bizhub printer/copier/scanner-majig.

Because nothing says "revolution" like a print job that doesn't fuck up your tie-dye.

Install Facebook App. Win Communal Shark. Questions? DIE!

Catch Up Lady let us in on the conception of Will Ferrell's Funny or Die Facebook app.

It's nothing special; users can watch Funny or Die videos, rate them, that kind of thing.

The school with the most downloads wins a visit from the Funny or Die comedy tour and a hammerhead shark, possibly autographed by Ferrell and the cast of The Golden Girls...?

Well, that's slightly more creative than $5,000. And sharks are neat. If they stop moving, they die. Sort of like what will happen to Will Ferrell's career if he stops being funny.

Clipcaster Gives US Users Shiny New Outlet for Inside Voices

Clipcaster.TV, which did that funky videoke thing for Pisang Ambon's Rock the Palace campaign, is now available for digital howlers Stateside. Now we too can rock the palace, or at least rock the appropriate level of decibels in the office.

Our virgin visit to Clipcaster resulted in a traumatic song-and-dance from these three would-be Village People in red outfits and neat hats at left. Ooh. Belated happy holidays.

Clipcaster self-promotes as "the first online videoke," which is something we actually hoped would never reap the fruits of globalization. So much for that dream.

Animated Bambino Goes Gaga for Carlo Parola

Industree, a communications agency out of Reggio Emilia and Milan, put together this cute ad for the '07/'08 Panini Footballers.

The spot features a baby that prefers football paraphernalia to typical infant fare. Tres chouette. Oops, that's French.

Kitchen Cupboards Blamed for Domestic Violence

In another nod to the "invisible" cause of domestic abuse and violence against women, this National Center for Domestic Violence commercial highlights the fact that, in the U.K., 330,000 injuries per year are blamed on kitchen cupboard doors.

While it's certain these domestic violence campiagns bring to light this terrible issue, it's not so clear they do anything to stop the violence. In fact, a current or potential abuser viewing this commercial now has yet another excuse to use when explaining away the situation.

For 'Grown-Man Insurance,' Add Pigment to Ad Pitch

For Allstate, Cutters and Burrell, Chicago bleep the f-word with a carload of cool black guys. This is yet another one of Allstate's attempts to get its good hands gritty. See its biker boys, its Kasey Kahne ass-shot, and its dramatic swan dive.

You know, none of our friends have ever admonished us to "get some grown-man insurance."

Tribal DDB Worldwide Scores Global Agency Network of the Year

Advertising Age just named Tribal DDB Worldwide (the Quintippio guys!) Global Agency Network of the Year. This is the first time a digital shop's won over traditional houses.

Congrats, you crazy digital sauce-sipping kids you. As for everyone else? Well, Andy Berndt comes to mind.

'Sausages' to Receive Super Bowl Water Cooler Action?

It's unclear whether or not this Bud Light Ability to Talk to Animals spot will make an appearance during the Super Bowl but if it does, there could be a lot of sausage talk at the office the next day. Along with graceful shots of the product, this DDB Chicago-created Bud Light commercial starts off innocuously enough touting the beer's taste. It then suddenly shifts to a man and his dog in the kitchen. Sadly, it seems, Bud Light's ability to give one the power to talk to animals is no more. Sadly, the dog doesn't know this and continues to beg for sausages over and over and over...and over again.

It's stupid humor like this that gives this spot a chance at Wassup notoriety.

Dude ... is the Statue of Liberty Sloshed?

Last week at Heathrow Airport we saw this thirst-inciting ad that read, "Fly with everything you buy from the departure lounge."

(And you really should buy alcohol.)

Lesbian Site Gets Goofy With MySpace Avatar in Flickr Promotion

To help increase its membership, someone presumably behind the lesbian site BestforLESBIANS (NSFW) has created several humorous images (some NSFW) made up of random racy shots coupled with a MySpace avatar who comments on the imagery. What? You say this isn't relevant news? Of course it is. The porn industry practically invented every known form of online advertising 6 months before anyone else knew about it. Though, we're not sure campaign festooned with goofy avatars will be the next greatest online advertising technique.

Times Square Gets Visit From Music-Toting Inflatable Monster

Flickr user brandongerena captured a few pictures of the Pepsi Monster which made its debut in Times Square yesterday to promote the brand's music giveaway on Amazon MP3 which will offer 3.25 million DRM-free songs for download. The monster's now traveling to Phoenix where it will say hello to those in and around the University of Phoenix stadium. See images here, here and here.

Berlitz Enlarges More Than Just Language Skills

Oh ha, ha, ha. We get it. How could we not? Why don't you just get a toilet plunger and shove your witty little double entendre down our throat to make sure we really, really understood the oh-so-witty joke you were trying to make. Come on. Our mouth is wide open and ready to receive your sorry ass creativity.

Oh, sorry, you want to know what we're talking about? But, come on, we always have so much fun when we switch into trash mode. Can't we go on just a little bit longer? OK, OK, we'll tell you. The creator of this commercial for language learner Berlitz thought some sledge hammer-style visual paronomasia (look it up) would be the best way to show people how Berlitz can make a huge (did we say huge?) change in your foreign language speaking skills. We humbly submit that we get your point, Berlitz.

Drug Marketers Continue to Hide, Stretch Truth

It's one thing for a marketer to claim, say, its product will mow your lawn better than any other lawn mower but it's clearly another when a drug maker claims its product will cure certain ills and then cause a heart attack. That's an extreme case but the makers of the cholesterol drug Vytorin are now red faced after a study (which it held for over a year while taking in billions in sales of the drug) found it's drug did not do what it claimed to do.

Vytorin is the combination of two existing cholesterol drugs, Zetia and Zocor, which is supposed to reduce the amount of fatty plaque on artery walls. The study found it didn't which compelled U.S Representatives John Dingell and Bart Stupack to issue a complaint to the drug makers and to the FTC.

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Man Boobs Obscure Various Body Parts

For a woman, not being able to see her feet without leaning over her protruding breasts could, by some, be considered a good thing. For a man with man boobs, not so much. Norwegian fitness center Oxygo Gym is in touch with that sentiment and has illustrated it nicely in this new newspaper campaign which broke January 19.

Created by Oslo agency 2008scandinavia, places the viewer in the eye of the beholder...a highly motivational position from which said beholder can relish in the disgust of their man boobs. Others have commented on another body part that's being concealed by this dude's belly but, for once, we're just not going to go there. Besides, we know you're smart and can figure it out. And, we really, really don't want to go there.