Neurotic Geico Caveman Gets All OC On Our Asses

Make the Logo Bigger shimmies us over to the latest Geico installment involving their star neurotic having the usual no-fun-at-all at a caveman schmooze fest.

The spot's a bit smug for our taste but we love those douchey Park Avenue twangs.

Ballerina Goes Noir in Virgin's Fresh Footwork

Virgin is known for its ostentatious marketing efforts but they blew us away with Fresh Footwork, a Virgin Money campaign. Leveraging the slogan "Things get more exciting when you say yes," a ballerina traipses across a stage and is paused by an invitation to continue if you push a button marked Yes. With each confirmed Yes her footwork gets darker, sexier and more complex.

We don't want to blow the ending but anything that devolves in loose hair and pyrotechnics has our vote. Great use of interactive media. And the subtle sex appeal gave it a perfect balance of taste and edginess. We like Virgin's fresh footwork.

Created by Glue London, this was the topping-off to Virgin's 2006 Yes campaign in the UK.

Roto Rooter Pimps Crappers For the Luxe Multi-Tasker

We can't imagine anything nicer than sitting on our asses with the right electronics close by. You can only improve on that experience with soothing music and a flusher.

That's why Roto Rooter is trying to make themselves relevant to a new demographic by running a contest for a pimped-out throne of dreams. When you pause and carefully consider the popularity of Pimp My Ride and sitting on your ass, it really makes perfect sense.

Thanks Shedwa for the tip-off. We'd race out of our seats to join the contest but we'd rather just sit here, breathe heavily and sometimes flush.

AllState Gets Good Hands Dirty with Car Thefts and Swan Dives

AllState, best known for its mild-mannered commercials and provocative slogan, "Are you in good hands?" conducts an out-of-character but well-orchestrated PR stunt with the help of Leo Burnett.

In the subsequent ad a man on a mission steals a vehicle and drives it surreally off the top of a Marina City parking garage in Chicago. And just when you're like "OMGWTFBBQ," that soothing meme of a tone takes over: "AllState. Are you in good hands?"

Nervous laughter all around.

This print ad, where a Grand Am teeters precariously over the edge of that same parking structure, follows up on the idea.

AllState, typically favouring the soberest of marketing stances, surprised us with this one. It's a little like God making a joke at our expense. We're sure they got some good buzz out of the deal and maybe even an account or two since people accidentally drive off narrow parking structures all the time.

Nike Makes Pierced Metal Billboard for Laser-Engineered Shoes

To promote their new laser-engineered series of Airmax sneaks, Nike uses laser-pierced metal as a print ad medium. Interesting idea even if the final product looks kind of like cave paintings. At least it lights up. We're in favour of anything, really, that lights up. Series credited to DDB Paris.

iPhone to Revolutionize Phones, Music Players, Lives at Large

Owning an iPhone is the equivalent of an out-of-body experience which is the only way to justify the 7% leap in Apple share post-unveiling and the $499-$599 price tag that out-hurrahs both iPod and BlackBerry.

ZDNet talks pros and cons, foreseeing death and suffering for many companies left vulnerable in the storm of common interest. With Apple's cultlike status they could have released this to the exact same jizz-in-the-pants fanfare.

There's a vibe in the air like people are down to give Apple their credit cards for safe-keeping until June, when the first iPhones will slide off conveyor belts and into warm laps. That is, if WOM is anything to go by as the topic's received a whoppin' 1,684 mentions on Google news alone per Adfreak's last count. Obviously iPhone is already more popular than the Beatles, a sweet irony because it's really only a platform for the Beatles and because Apple recently exercised total ownage over the Beatles.

Apple also changed its official title from Apple Computers to Apple Inc, better suited to accommodate its menagerie of soon-to-be-successful non-computer products, including iPhone and the iTV which will marry the 'net to the tube. That's definitely a pairing we've seen attempted before but with Apple's blessing (and the fact that the original WebTV is now owned by MSN, adding the critical pwnage component) we're sure it will fly this time around.

Time Gets Web 2.0 Facelift

Time revamps its tired old site to better serve the interests of 2.0-savvy readers who'd rather sift through snarky blogs than stiff Reuters streams.

The new site vibes like a cross between Yahoo, ZDNet and AdAge, which can be useful if not totally confusing. Critiques about Iraq rub shoulders with Top 10's, quotes du jour and wincing-hip TV-related titles like "Whiteyz with Attitude." Urg. Well, it'll definitely make eye-candy for the scroll-happy.

Time will provide 24/7 news and, in a surprise move that contrasts those of major papers like the New York Times, rendered the entire Time archive of stories, covers and images - from its 1923 debut! - available for free.

Neat. For a brand so big we're sure they'll come up with a way to keep profits from hurting during this most curious process. And we probably won't be the only ones watching closely.

Mountain Dew Makes Geriatric Splash in YouTube Mash-Up Campaign

Senior citizen Sue Teller draws the attention of not-so-golden eyes with this little clip about mash-ups. It's got Mountain Dew's twisted tongue-in-cheek style all over it but the Dew's staying mum about its involvement with the aging, crunk-loving album ripper.

Kevin at PR Blog thinks it's Super Bowl related which makes sense to us as businesses traditionally go out on a limb to get noticed on the coveted meathead spots. Interestingly, the demographic that few besides convalescent homes pay attention to may contain the golden key.

Oxygen took this a step further some years ago and actually gave Sue Johansen, who's got to be pushing 85 from what we can tell, a sex show complete with a trunk full of pleasure tools. That definitely got the attention of creeped-out but fascinated high school girls for a hot minute. Is Dew tearing a page out of the femme-friendly network for the young and 'net-savvy? We'll find out.

UPS Uses USPS-Inspired Postal Service Music in Ads

Either UPS has an extremely twisted sense of humor or someone forgot to do their homework. Adrants reader Andrew Teman tells us one of the commercials in the new UPS campaign features a song by the band The Postal Service which, after a dust up with the United States Post Office over its name, sells its CD on the USPS website. The The Postal Service and USPS in bed together, it does seem an odd choice of music to use in a UPS commercial. Are we missing something here?

Leo Burnett Loses Altoids to Hal Riney

Late last Friday, Altoids awarded its creative duties to San Francisco's Hal Riney causing those on the 31st floor of incumbent Leo Burnett in Chicago to, well, get a little unhappy. Though we love Burnett and think the early Altoids work was wonderful, we must say it is, perhaps, time for a change. In fairly clandestine review, we're told Burnett was bested by Dial House, BBDO and Crispin. Chin up, Leo. It was probably the client's fault anyway, right?