Selma Blair Pimps Chanel Vision

Having played a girl of innocence in Cruel Intentions and a girl of less innocence in A Dirty Shame, Selma Blair will now play the face of Chanel Vision in a campaign shot by Karl Lagerfeld. Not much else you can say about these celebu-campaigns other than has any celeb not done one?

Renault Highlights Ad Campaign History With Website

Renault in France has launched a website that does nothing but feature the company's ad campaigns, old and new. Called, On reclame la pub!, which is hard to translate wordplay hard the loosely means both "we want ads" and an old school version of "We advertise ads," the site appeases what the car maker dubs "brand fans and advertising addicts." Well, that would be us but not sure about the rest of the world. The site also has a newsletter that announces new campaign launches, screensavers and wallpapers. So if you love Renault, this site is for you. You just better be able to read French.

Buick Takes Precision Route With New Lucerne Campaign

Today, Buick launched a campaign, called "Beyond Precision," for its new 2006 Lucerne. Television spots focus on the exactitude with which the car is crafted which is not necessarily a new message but seems to work in this case. After all, there's not much else about a Buick that's all that exciting. At least we can be excited about the car's ad campaign.

A series of print ads will launch on Nov. 22 in USA TODAY and Nov. 23 in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal; and will run throughout the year in a variety of magazines and newspapers. Interactive inserts, coined "Buzz Prints," that feature product attributes of the Lucerne will begin running in publications in February. Additional campaign components include online advertising and promotional placements on prime time shows. Two of the spots can be viewed here and here.

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Holiday Fruitcake and Cheesy Music Kick Off 'Fruitcake Cash'

On November 21, Borders Perrin Norrander will unveil a new advertising campaign for the Oregon State Lottery, promoting the new holiday scratch-it ticket, Fruitcake Cash. Yes, Fruitcake cash. The campaign will consist of television, radio and online. The spots spoof those cheesy, late night music compilation infomercials by highlighting mockeries like "The Spirit of Fruitcake Volume Four," "The Holidays Ain't Nuttin' Without My Fruitcake," and the 80s ballad, "What's That Fruitcake Doin' Under My Tree." Before the hokiness gets too much to take, the announcer interrupts the infomercial suggesting, "for a fruitcake gift they'll really love, give fruitcake cash."

We're told the fruitcake parody songs, composed and produced by Asche & Spencer, were so well received by the client, BPN created a complete CD including full-length versions of the songs featured in the commercials. So there you have it. The first of what will, surely, be a long line of spoofy, holiday-themed ad campaigns.

Seventies Porn Fashion Returns

Wipe that smirk off your face, dude. This is a photoshoot for an ad, not a porn flick. Oh, and speaking of porn, those 70's pornographer sunglasses have got to go. No self-respecting hipster, metrosexual would be caught dead wearing those things so go back to your pad, turn on the lava lamp, push aside the multicolored, vertical beads in the doorway to your bedroom, turn on some Donna Summer and throw your women down on the red velvet sheets of your love nest and get vertical.

John Deere Wants Shirtless Farmers For Campaign

Minneapolis-based John Deere agency Mackenzie is looking for farmers for an upcoming John Deer ad campaign. The agency wants "real farmers, with farmer tans, well-formed paunches, and tattoos." A newspaper article states male farmers will photographed shirtless and should be between 25 and 55. There was no mention of 35 to 55 year-old, shirtless female farmers.

Banned 'Still Speaking' Church Ad Wins Award

Almost a year after their broadcast ad was rejected by all three major networks - ABC, NBC and CBS - as too controversial the United Church of Christ has won the Association of National Advertisers Annual Award for Multicultural Excellence for its gay and minority-inclusive "Bouncers" ad and The Initiative campaign. The ad was created by Gotham NY ad agency. The award "recognizes the efforts of a corporate marketer for an outstanding multicultural advertising campaign" among all major corporate advertisers, from Coca Cola to General Motors, nationally and internationally.

Juliette Lewis Gets Nude For Designer

Already appearing on posters and wearing the designer's clothing during performances, actress and rocker Juliette Lewis recently appeared topless, draped between two chairs in a dressing room, in an ad campaign for designer Johan Lindeberg. The nude ad is viewable on the Lindeberg site.

Honda Rips Off 'I Love New York' Logo

Honda paid New York State $45,000 for rights to use the "I Love New York" logo in a Honda Accord commercial. In the commercial, the Accord is seen nudging the heart aside and taking its place. Some say this is sacrilegious to the slogan which was created by Bobby Zarem and designed by Milton Glaser in 1978. Others say it's just business as usual. We say New York is stupid for selling out. Any campaign that's been running for 27 years must be doing something right, not to mention the slogan becoming part of culture. To sell it for a measly $45,000 is a joke. And, worse, for a throw away ad campaign.

Zarem says, "All anybody is interested in is making a buck. It's cheap and stupid." Conversely, Glaser thinks it's OK telling the New York Daily News, "The state has the rights to it, but I'm happy with it. Basically, I love to influence the time I am in, and when you see something like this it's very flattering."

Vespa Leverages High Gas Prices In Campaign

New York's Ad Store has launched a new campaign for Piaggio USA's Vespa scooters. The campaign consists of outdoor ads which explain the merits of owning a Vespa when gas prices are sky high. Ad headlines include "Relieves Gas Pains", "When in New York, do as the Romans do", and "Don't be a gas-hole." See all the creative here.