Staffblaster Makes Hard-Partying Cogs Look Lively Upon Entry

In lieu of a season's greeting, AIS, London gives us a holiday tool we'd actually like to use.

The Staffblaster attacks dronelike employees -- likely sleepy, hungover and shoddily dressed -- right as they walk through the door (typically between nine and 10 AM).

Must do wonders for morale.

Masturbation's Net Result Sells Hombre Magazine

Now here's a campaign that doesn't beat around the bush...even thought there is beating and bush involved. Rarely do we find ad campaigns so blunt and so bold and so, pray tell, graphically honest as this one. Reminiscent of those fake PUMA ads years ago, this campaign for Hombre Magazine doesn't bother to dance lightly around what some of its readers do when reading the magazine.

Created by Leo Burnett Buenos Aires, this is a campaign we'd never see in America because, God forbid, we admit anyone ever in their entire life ever looks at "dirty" magazines or masturbates. Adland has the campaign's entire series of ads here.

Triumph Boat Baits Anglers With Fish Fry Feeding Frenzy

Does PETA care about fish? If they do, they might not like this new ad campaign from Triumph boats which promotes a Triumph Boat-sponsored "Feeding Frenzy" fishing tournament. With a Game Fish Identification Chart, the campaign, tagged "Good For You, Bad For The Fish," gleefully celebrates the all you can eat fish fry.

The campaign, created by The Republik in Durham, NC, includes posters, print and t-shirts to aid Triumph dealers in co-ordinating their individual fish fry events. And in case PETA wants to stage a protest, The first event will be held January 18 at Merritt Marine in Hillsborough, NC.

Q: Why Don't Creatives Like Working on Property Brochures?

Hitler is one fucked-up agency executive.

This is almost as funny as Hitler gets banned, a homage to his love for the Xbox.

It's great that we've learned to laugh at this icon for human tragedy. But how long before our laughter eases the stigma around the toothbrush mustache? Until an ordinary man can walk about with one, sans persecution, our work is far from done.

X-Ray Glasses Yield Panties to Four-Eyed Spectators

Here's a spot by DeVito/Verdi, USA for For Eyes. It's called X-Ray.

Recall the type of specs you dreamed of having when you were a pervy little kid. Now imagine that's a viable request.

The ad asserts that unless you can get a pair of eyeglasses that act above and beyond the call of duty, you really shouldn't be paying so much for them. Clever clever. This little gem was discovered on Ads of the World.

That Old Idea That There Are No New Ideas Is No Official

We've thought this at the end of every year for a long time but now it's ben made official. It seems 2007 has been dubbed The Year We Finally Ran Out of Ideas and that sentiment has taken on the for of a cartoonish re-cap of the year in which sequel-itis, Orville resurrection, the Dentsu scandal and Sony's rabbits are given their proper spot in the compendium of the year's work.

Stay-at-Home Servers Model Dads in the Homefront

"You can't domesticate a server!" snarls one critic in this corny but clever ad for Windows Home Servers.

Adding uncharacteristic, and shyly controversial, color to a mundane office tool, Microsoft -- with (lots of!!!) help from Creature -- repositions the server as a domesticated animal.

The idea is that a stay-at-home server better assists remote knowledge workers in a more productive environment -- at home (a truly revolutionary idea, yada yada). The campaign also draws parallels between servers and stay-at-home dads. This side-snicker take on real-life issues reminds us a little of early Vista efforts.

See microsite. Promotional material also includes a book entitled Mommy, Why is There a Server in the House?, for sale on Amazon.

Shift Control Goes RPG on Second-Gen Company Site

Hey, this is pretty nifty. CT-based Shift Control Media, which builds casual games for marketers, has relaunched its website with help from Vancouver's mod7.

The site vibes like an RPG game: You're an alien exploring human behavior and interning at a Madison Avenue agency. The reading's a little heavy compared with the few instances of action, but then again you get to hear bullshit words like "synergy" from alien ears.

The alien also observes that "all the attractive humanoids work in marketing." Hell yes, little green man.

Cruelty to Cookies Promote AT&T GoPhone

For client AT&T, BBDO enlisted Aardman Productions, the folk responsible for Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run, to put together this quaint little holiday ad. It's lighter and funnier than what we'd expect from AT&T, which bodes well, at least for Christmas.

In the spot, a gingerbread son (who sounds too old to be living at home) asks his dad (who's busy roofing) if he can have a GoPhone. Dad agrees. Shortly afterward, a giant human hand takes a chunk out of his house.

Aww. It's practically a cautionary tale.

Not Into Elves? Become a Chipmunk

Sucking helium solely for the effect it has on your voice is a time-honored tradition among kids, and probably the only instance of substance abuse you won't get vilified for.

Couple that with an effort like Elf Yourself, and you've got a bonafide interactive promotion for Alvin and the Chipmunks, the feature film based on our favourite childhood show. (Next to Shera and He-Man, anyway.)

Hit Munk Yourself to get "munked," (Get it? Chipmunks?) without the helium. It's definitely safer, even if it cuts the fun in half.

Catch our munked rendition here. And read more about the customizable viral craze, and how it relates to our old buddies Alvin, Simon and Theodore, at Brandweek.