The Beckhams Cavort Atop Tokyo's Omotesando Crossing

It's not often both celebrities in a celebrity marriage are spokespeople for brands, let alone at the same time. It's even less often, if not ever, the two appear side by side in their respective spokesperson roles as do David and Victoria Beckham in Tokyo. In Omotesando Crossing, Victoria appears for Samantha Thavasa and David appears for Giorgio Armani.

Adidas Boost Auckland Marathon Runners With Giant Fan

Here's an interesting extension of Adidas' Impossible is Nothing mantra. During the Aukland Marathon at the 17 km mark, runners could choose to run through lane which was outfitted with what was called the adiBOOST, a giant fan that would put a 50 knot wind at their backs insuring the impossibility of finishing the marathon would be nothing to be concerned with. Nice idea.

Sneezing Billboard Promotes Science World

We love it when outdoor boards spit at us, don't you? Well not really but that's what the people of Vancouver were subjected to in this campaign promoting Science World, a non-profit, science-focused educational organization. The campaign aimed to demonstrate the fact a sneeze can travel 12 feet and hover for three hours. Gross. Did we really need to know that? We're never leaving our office again.

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.

Big Bed Goes a-Traveling in Great Glass Truck

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, Mattress Giant is holding a contest called the "Mattress Giant Bed Makeover." It's promoting the contest with a big yummy bed, encased in glass, on the back of a truck.

Cute. We've seen similar stuff before. If the contest accomplishes nothing else, it might attract the attention of some arrogant filthy-rich super-brat that's always wanted her own litter.

Actually, we wouldn't mind one.

Yuzu Sushi Morphs Assvertising into Spare Tire Advertising

For a little taste of non-traditional advertising, Canada's Yuzu Sushi gives us...spare tire advertising. Yes, spare tire advertising. Perhaps they figure assvertising was a bit too...oh...in your face whereas the ass end of a car would be less offensive and, well, more effective. After all, most people stare at the ass end of a car much more often than they stare at the ass end of a woman lifting her skirt so you can see the branded underwear she's wearing.

Orange Uses Gesture-Based Display to Drive Handhelds into Actual Hands

For client Orange, the Alternative is doing that gesture-based advertising thing. Do a little hand-dance to bring news, film clips or music videos to your fingertips.

We see a less useful, but strangely more amusing, version of this technology every time we go to Virgin Records in Times Square, the home of that Nirvana floor display where you can step on or kick projected babies and bubbles. (It's actually more benign than it sounds.)

For Royal Treatment in Developing Nation, Build Brand that Doubles as Tarp

We spent some time in the Philippines last week. Good news for old-school brand goliaths: free promotion is alive and well alongside freeways and in living spaces (at the same time!).

That, and offshore telesales. We're in the money now, baby.

Heart-Shaped Crotch Shot Promotes Italian Footwear Quality

In the customs line at Heathrow we saw this leggy ad reading "I love Italian shoes."

And then we blinked. What's that logo in the upper left-hand corner? Is that a wide-open, heart-shaped pair of legs? Then we understood. If crotch shots keep Britney in the public eye, why not use the same method to promote the quality of Italian footwear?

The logo and ads are brought to you by ANCI, the National Association of Italian Footwear Manufacturers. The ad we saw (and hastily snapped for posterity) goes on to say, "The words 'Made in Italy' are a guarantee of fine Italian-crafted shoes."

Who are we to say a quality product can't open wide every once in awhile?

Five, FIAT Seize Relaxed UK Ad Regulations to Promote FIAT 500

UK-based Five.tv and FIAT Automobiles have joined forces to promote the FIAT 500 online and outdoors. This may not be a huge deal Stateside, but it's a big deal in the UK, where OFCOM recently relaxed regulations for terrestrial channel sponsorship.

Fiat seized the moment and blew a wad for a whole evening on Five. Its FIAT 500 will also be unveiled at the British Airways London Eye on January 21st at 8pm.

The launch was timed to occur exactly 500 hours into 2008, which will be docked on a countdown clock on Five.tv via 10" and 20" commercials.