Dear War Veteran: You Are Not Alone

A new campaign from BBDO and the Ad Council for the Irag and Afghanistan Veterans of America reminds people the one percent of Americans who put their life in harm's way for the other 99 percent should not be left alone when they finally come home.

The campaign includes television, print and a social networking site which offers returning veterans the chance to connect with fellow soldiers and work towards re-entering society.

New York Festivals Offers Year's Worth of Fame!

Its time for New York Festivals again! And there's no boring call for entry email on this one. Nope. The organizers went all out this time, pulled out all stops, worked for months creating...wait for it...yes, a YouTube video!

In the video, you can watch various creative pontificate about the "process" and "words" and "recognition" and "creative excellence" and "effort" and "power" and 15 minutes of fame" and, and, and...well, just watch.

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GLAAD is Sad, Dentsu Grabs McGarry Bowen, Cannes on DVD

- Burger King does the dropped wallet thing. Hey, it's a whole lot more fun that shoving coupons in people's faces.

- Even though you've already seen all the ads months ago for free, you can now pay for a DVD of the Cannes Lions Titanium and Integrated Lions. Go ahead. Open your wallet. Or try to. All we got was "not available yet" when we went to check the price.

- Gotta love nefarious Boards of Directors. The Commercial Closet Association, founded by former Ad Age staffer Mike Wilke will merge with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. It was a planned merge. What wasn't planned was the Board's outing (not the gay kind) of Wilke while he was away on vacation. Wilke was supposed to maintain his position after the merge. No he's suddenly out of work. Not nice, GLAAD.

- McGarry Bowen has sold its sole to Dentsu.

- And so it continues. In today's layoff news, Conde Nast has said goodbye to 36 staffers.

Target Helps Christina Aguilera Hype 'Greatest Hits'

Probably because the bulls-eye has more brand cachet than she does, Christina Aguilera's paired up with Target to promote Keeps Gettin' Better, a premature greatest-hits album buttressed by a handful of mediocre new tracks.

The ad features Aguilera in superhero Target garb, breaking through comic book frames like a cross between Frank Miller's Sin City and a less saucy version of Britney Spears' Toxic. It's infectious, mostly because Target knows how to play with the colour red. But it took a coupla watches to positively ID the once-ultra-visible pop diva.

Keeps Gettin' Better is available exclusively at the big-box. Possessed of timeless classics like Genie in a Bottle, Dirrty and something called Genie 2.0, we (don't) highly recommend it.

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Microsoft Does 'I'm a PC' UGC Mash-Up Thing.

"I'm a PC ... and I love the slimming effect of a purple striped shirt."

That's the profound kick-off to "Real PC," one of the :30 TV spots being cobbled together with clips from Microsoft's Upload Your Own 'I'm a PC' Ad! campaign. I saw one last night and winced; what is it about this effort that rings so painfully desperate? See more here.

These user-generated variants manage to be just as quirky and random as the originals, with a little amateur-vid spice tossed in. One guy at ad:tech's Millennial panel said he finds these ads more "democratic" than Apple's snarky but irresistible "Mac vs. PC" spots. He's not wrong; they definitely reek of The People's OS. For whatever that's worth.

Let's just hope Crispin didn't produce them on a Mac this time.

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Dell CMO Casey Jones Canned

It seems the reported "probation" of Dell VP of Marketing Casey Jones has progressed to the expected outcome; he's been fired. Actually, he left last week but no on as Dell was all the interested in trumpeting his exit. The long and embattled path to the nirvana that was to be Enfatico continues to crumble underfoot.

A commenter on the Tribble Agency blog wrote, "Casey's grand illusion of creating his own agency, while being a client, proved to be another of his hare brained schemes. His own ego put him in the same planet as Sorell. I'm sure it will all start to unravel as other WPP units have engaged directly with Dell to save the day."

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Drugs Crimed, Ads Battle. T-Mobile Gets Weird

- Swedish site Crime Medicine tells the tale of counterfeit prescription drugs using an online drug store front which then break through to the truth behind the lie.

- Google Street View gets some staged action from a group of people in Pittsburgh who wanted to dress up Sampsonia Way.

- Hmm. According to this video, Lowe Manila is an awesome place to work and really difficult to say goodbye to.

- OK. Obviously this a cultural thing but still. This T-mobile commercial is really, really weird.

- Need to waste some time? Check out the Facebook application Ad Battle created by Buddy Media and Atmosphere BBDO's Jason Culbertson. Compare to ads and vote on them. It's that simple.

SpyKee WiFi Robot Serves Men's Twisted Prurience

We all know many ads love to portray men as drooling, sex-crazed idiots who are easily turned on by just about anything because, well, we are but this commercial for Skykee, a WiFi spy robot (who thinks this stuff up?) stretches the metaphor a bit too far in terms of men's obsession with "ass."

Oh whatever. It's funny. Sort or. In a freakishly twisted, perverted sort of way.

Surprise! Ozzy Osbourne Still Gets Gigs

Ad gigs, that is. But hey, if Richard Simmons is still gettin' 'em, there's hope for any and all, not least the Black Sabbath veteran who pre-dated emo with his slick ebony angst.

Under the banner "make yourself heard," Samsung demonstrates how the QWERTY keyboard on its Propel handset makes everyday communication easier for Ozzy, who -- face it -- has always suffered from some degree of misunderstanding.

This mirthy delight is brought to you by Leo Burnett and production company MJZ.

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Rats Flung from Helis, Obama's Facebook Push, SocNet-Addicted Mommy Bloggers

- Be a GAMER. Made of steel. Video game school will show you how.

- The US Army is using webcasts by overseas soldiers to bait new recruits. The series is called -- wait for it! -- "Straight from Iraq." Soldiers are ready to take your questions.

- Keep up with Advergirl's social manifesto on how companies are using social media. It's illustrated!

- To remind us all how with-it and un-stodgy it is, Microsoft (I guess?) sends rats skydiving. Sick 'em, PETA.

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