BusinessWeek Puts Big Brains on Print

Because it's low-key, informative and witty, and because each piece of creative merits a long look, we've watched the ongoing BusinessWeek ad campaign with interest for some time.

This is one ad we really liked, in part because the purple shapes on the brain look vaguely like happy people with their hands in the air. Side effects of reality TV? Probably. - Contributed by Angela Natividad

XBox Pushes Console with Frolicky Foot-Tapping Ad

San Francisco Agency McCann-Erickson worked in tandem with a ton of talent, including director Garth Davis of Anonymous Content and editor Angus Wall of Rock Paper Scissors, to release a playful ad for Xbox entitled "Cops and Robbers" - a monicker as whimsical as the spot itself. A52 is responsible for making complex visual effects and physical logistics look like a carefree leap off a building.

It's a fun watch and the clapping beat will probably be stuck in our heads all day. We much prefer it to the esoteric stuff PS3's putting out. - Contributed by Angela Natividad

Axe Turns Tunnels Into Erogenous Zones

Continuing the road/tunnel advertising thing, this Axe ad in Sao Paulo ensured we will never see tunnels as mere means to ends ever, ever again. Tunnels are magical destinations in and of themselves. - Contributed by Angela Natividad

Degree Adds Depth to the Little Black Dress

We dig this series of ads, which are part of Degree's "Little Black Dress Approved" campaign. Aside from the obvious reasons, like the fact they can take this in so many more directions than they could have with the Audrey Hepburn prototype alone, we think the sari girl is hot and we have never seen an Amish woman. Interesting. - Contributed by Angela Natividad

Hasbro's 'Tooth Tunes' Hearkens Apple's '1984' And Makes It Work

Combining the notion imitation is the sincerest form of flattery with the acknowledgment there are no new ideas left in advertising, this Hasbro commercial for Tooth Tunes, a tooth brush that plays music closely mirrors the famed Apple 1984 commercial. In the spot, legions of kids brush their teeth in that proverbial socialist society kind of way until some dude...in a track suit no less...stands up, tooth brush held high in the air (remind you of anything?) and says, "Enough!" The droll, colorless room then explodes into a world of color as Kiss sings "I Wanna Rock and Roll Night and Party Every Day" in the background.

Created by Cincinatti's WonderGroup and produced by Lightborne, the spot actually works. It's framed in a very memorable cultural moment. It conveys the boredom of everyday tooth brushing. And then it's hammer toss pounds the message home: brushing yout teeth can be fun. And there's even a product demo squeezed in too. We like it.

WOMMA Offers Blogger Contact Guidelines to Marketers

Perhaps in reaction to a recently launched company that pays bloggers to write positive things about brands without disclosure and the spread of stealth blogs and flogs, the Word of Mouth Marketing Association has released for industry discussion Ten Principles for Ethical Contact by Marketers, a document that basically amount to 1. Don't lie; 2. Be nice and 3. Don't manipulate. The ten points in full are below:

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Back Seat Fear Motivates Purchase of Car With No Back Seat

With so many movies scaring the crap out of us with scenes of people in the back seats of cars accosting the drivers, it makes perfect sense to use those scenes in a commercial for a car that has no back seats: the Smart Car. Yes, fear is a powerful motivator.

Restless Legs Kicks Off Domino Effect, Calls Attention to Disorder

After we stopped laughing and realized Restless Legs Syndrome is, in fact, a real affliction, we thought his DBM/Leeand Dan-created Honda Cog-like video which consist of an elaborate domino set up kicked off by a pair of restless legs wasn't half bad. It's sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline which means they must have some sort of drug for the affliction. Anyway, it's no Honda Cog but it is always fascinating to watch the domino effect and wonder if it's going to work all the way through.

Spanky's Co-Star Shows Up in Domino's Chocolate Cookie Commercial

While the nervous laughter in this Perlorian Brothers-directed, JWT New York-created commercial for Domino's Pizza delivered-hot chocolate chip cookies goes on a bit long, the payoff works. And if you were wondering, the old lady in the ad is Beverly Polcyn who played a co-starring roles with Spanky and Alfalfa in the 1930's TV hit Our Gang. At least chocolate chip cookies aren't as freakishly gross as the Domino's Oreo Desert Pizza.

Jewish Social Network Gets James Bond-Style Promotion

Leveraging a little James Bond action, this promotional video for Jewish online social network Koolanoo from Keta Keta hits home literally and figuratively. This clip is a follow up to the initial clip which featured a bikinied hottie by the pool getting assistance from one of her "brothers." This second clip is playful and engaging enough to keep interest long enough for the payoff.