Altoids Unveils Sindy in Google-Powered Search Game

You know how much we love games. Find Altoids' Sindy in a game built right into Google Earth. We were never superkeen on Carmen Sandiego, but Sindy probably won't have trouble inspiring a chase.

Nice to see Altoids is over its frightening identity crisis. We salute you, Hal Riney WDDG (oops, sorry about that, guys).

United Colors of Benetton Returns From Dead With New Campaign

The United Colors of Who? Oh, Benetton. Sorry. It's just been years since we've seen anything from the clothier. In fact, we figured they went out of business but no. They are back and this time they are taking on the cause of domestic violence. Each ad stylishly coordinates their clothing line's colors with the bruises on women's faces to drive home the message. Damn. Did we just say "drive home the message?" Sorry, we thought we left that in the conference room years ago after realizing a message can't actually be driven and that saying stuff like that makes one appear to be an idiot. OK so maybe mobile billboards are an exception but we digress.

Benetton is back and they have a message. And as a bonus, maybe the campaign itself will deliver its own version of violence in the form of a slap upside the head of fashionistas who are more concerned with how they look than the plight of women around the world. Damn, that was bitchy.

UPDATE: Surprise, surprise. They're fake. Yawn.

3 Things We Learned About Skittles, Based on Latest Ads

Can we put these somewhere on the packaging?

1. Skittles may encourage kinky roleplaying behaviour. "Be a bike, baby, be my bike. And I will bring you to heaven."

2. Skittles may actually be steroids. They both start with S and they're also both plural. Hey, it's an easy mistake to make.

3. Skittles may lead to violent tearing-asunder of world-as-we-know-it.

These new ads for Skittles created by TBWA, Toronto made us not want to have seconds. Outcomes take a turn we don't want to make after the titillating first handful.

We much prefer the Little Lad with the little dance and the I-hate-life! expression. He was so tame in comparison. What happened to that guy?

Corona = Jumanji. Bring Big Umbrella, and Bug Spray.

We're trying to decide what we can say about this ad, short of "Corona makes Jumanji." But no, we can't think of anything.

If you drink Corona, you will have Jumanji. Or screaming orgasms. Hopefully not both at the same time.

Smart, Snarky Audi Ads Leave Watchers Feeling Dirty

Based on its last pair of efforts (1, 2) we decided that ad-wise, Audi's getting pretty - and flippant too, a quality that's lost in luxury car ads that get by on status alone.

Venables, Bell & Partners, San Francisco and production company OUTSIDER USA got together to continue the trend with a couple of new spots.

Moments for the Audi TT plays the tease with meaningful moments cut tantalizingly short, smugly signifying that while you can't get much done in .02 seconds, you can at least change gears. Really, really fast.

Parking is a spot for the A4. The action and length betray an unmistakable fuck-you to marks like Lexus, which features parking assistance technology.

In the world of high speed and hot bumpers, Audi's positioned as the innocuous-chick-turned-hot-bitchy-babe, and everyone wants to like her anyway.

Release of Unapproved Ads Get Saatchi Fired

The ongoing uproar over the Saatchi and Saatchi London-created ads for Dr. Martens which showed various rock artists sitting in heaven wearing the brand's steel toed boots has resulted in Dr. Martens parent company AirWair Ltd. firing Saatchi. The ads, which Saatchi claims Dr. Martens approved to run once in the UK's Fact Magazine caused a bit of controversy and complaint. Dr. Martens claims the images in the ads were not approved stating the work is "counter to our current marketing activities based on FREEDM, which is dedicated to nurturing grass roots creativity and supporting emerging talent."

Saatchi says it stands by the work, feels it is not offensive, promises to investigate why the ads were released beyond their intended destination and to "consider the ongoing employment" of the person who may have released the ads to the public. Oh my how things escalate.

UPDATE: Potions of this item have been changed to reflect corrections received from Saatchi & Saatchi UK and Dr. Martens.

Bud.tv Dies, Online Ads Live, Carat Loses, Office Cools

- Cynopsis reports, "The disappointing Bud.tv may "fade away" later this year, admitted Anheuser-Busch CEO August Busch IV in a conference call to analysts" and "Rupert Murdoch's bid to acquire the Dow Jones & Co., which includes The Wall Street Journal, Barrons and the Dow Jones Newswires, isn't looking too promising."

- The Internet Advertising Bureau and PriceWaterhouseCooper report online ad revenue increased 35 percent in 2006 to $16.9 billion.

- Havas' MPG is certainly grinning over its recent $740 million Sear media account win. Unfortunately former media agency, Carat, is grinning an entirely different grin.

- This is just not all that much fun but hey, you have to sell office cooling systems somehow.

Apple Unhappy With iPod As Sex Toy Enabler

It seems the iPod is becoming a very popular sex toy enabler. First, it was Soft Paris which released its Oh My God-inducing OhMiBod iPod plug in that, well, plugs in to a woman to deliver that special Oh My God feeling. Now we have sex toy retailer Ann Summers marketing a similar device, called the iGasm, with posters that look identical to the famed Apple silhouette campaign.

Apparently Apple doesn't want to be associated with female pleasure and have gone all legal on Ann Summers' ass with cease and desist orders. In an effort to lighten things up over at Apple, Ann Summers' Jacqueline Gold said, "Perhaps I can send them an iGasm to put a smile back on their faces!" Indeed.

more »

Ray Ban Will Do Anything to Keep You Watching

Here we have another Ray Ban video for the Never Hide campaign. Continuing down the path of arbitrary-but-watchable, a couple makes out all over town.

Yeah, that's the whole ad. And before you go, "WTF, dude, why is that watchable?" we have to ask, would you turn away or keep staring if you saw this in real life?

UK Mac vs PC Ads Even Less Palatable than US Variations

Update. We're not too keen on the UK variations on Apple's Mac vs PC campaign, but user comments suggest they're really rather awesome in a UK kind of way.

Guess you have to be there. On this side of the pond, however, the variations really make you appreciate the kind, if condescending, chemistry between Justin Long and that-other-guy.

The ads feature actors Mitchell and Webb of a sitcom called Peepshow, whose vibe can perhaps be most easily compared to Larry David's painfully awkward Curb Your Enthusiasm.