Microsoft Unleashes $80 Million For Office 2010 (70% Online)

Today, Microsoft launched an $80 million campaign to tout the launch of Office 2010. The campaign, called Make it Great, features people who were involved in the product's beta testing. Seventy percent of the campaign's effort will be online with the remaining 30 percent spent on print and billboard.

Cristiano Ronaldo Shows Six Pack For Georgio Armani

Soccer hottie Cristiano Ronaldo was scooped up by Georgio Armani last October and will appear in the fashion brand's upcoming ad campaign. Images broke yesterday but we'll have to wait until July to see the entire campaign which will include magazine ads and billboards in, among others, New York, Los Angeles and London.

Following Urban Outfitters' 'Eat Less,' Lanacane Says 'Eat More'

In the "We've Got a Solution for Every Problem" Department of Pharmaceutical Genius they've been staying up late this week examining a burning problem: chafing. Yes, chafing. Apparently, some pharmaceutical companies have become bored with finding a cure for cancer.

In this commercial for Lanacane the Pharmaceutical Geniuses solve chafing with a gel. The ad starts off with some chubby balloon characters whose limbs rub together "painfully" when they walk. The announcer says, "If you chafe when you move, it hurts." He the offers up Lanacane Anti-Chafing Gel saying, "Stop chafing. Keep moving"

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Esurance Brings Back the Dot Com Tagline

Jesus. It's like we just stepped back to 1999 when at Leo Burnett Technology Group we pumped out campaign after campaign touting the equity-building properties of a strong brand presence based on the four pillars of an account planner's wet dream: Vision, Mission, Essence and Position. Architecting the brand as it were.

It all usually netted in some self-important puffery akin to this new tagline from Esurance, "People when you want them. Technology when you don't." Sounds like a Peoplesoft tagline. Anyone remember them?

Anyway, the new campiagn is a play on technology versus people. There's a time for technology and there's a time for people. 1990's tagline aside, the campaign does a pretty good job illustrating that separation.

You can see it all here.

Lynx World Cup Ad Begs Many Questions

So...what is this World Cup-themed Lynx poster campaign trying to say? Soccer fans should be hot and female? A country's color should be incorporated into bra design? Having a thin waist and big boobs will guarantee you a slot in a Lynx ad? Soccer is somehow related to the crucifixion? Women with hot bodies but not-so-hot faces can be in Lynx ads too? Men only care about boobs?

Do tell, BBH UK.

Fergie to Debut Fragrance With Sexy Ad Campaign

To hype the September release of her new fragrance, Outspoken, Fergie has gotten all dolled up for an ad campaign which will tout the scent. Of the launch, Fergie said, "From my music to my wardrobe, my style is all about speaking up and making a statement."

Of the fragrance itself, Fergie said, "Outspoken definitely turns heads, but it also lets your true personality shine through."

For those who care, the fragrance will consist of a mixture of jasmine, tuberose, passion flower, starfruit and...black leather? Eesh. That can't be good.

VW Brings Back Sunday Drive

As if there weren't a care in the world regarding the world's resources some say are limited, Volkwagen Canada, with help from Toronto-based Red Urban and Montreal-based Palm + Havas, wants us all to hop in our cars and take an aimless Sunday drive.

Explaining the campaign, Volkswagen Canada Marketing and Communications Director Bruce Rosen said, "The Sunday Drive campaign re-ignites the emotional connection with the Volkswagen Brand. The new Golf Family epitomizes all the best characteristics of the Volkswagen Brand, including sleek European styling, proven affordable German engineering, eco-friendly technologies, and that they are really fun to drive. As a result of the new Golf winning 2009 World Car of the Year and the new Golf GTI winning 2010 Canadian Car of the Year, deliveries of the new Golf Family are up 165% so far over last year's pace. We wanted a marketing campaign that would live up to reputation of these cars and to the Brand, and fuel our continued sales momentum."

*pause to come up for air*

If anything, that litany should get some sort of award for cramming the most blatherfic bullshit into a single statement. Kudos to the PR person who stuck the words in Rosen's mouth.

See the new commercials here and here or below.

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Skin Irritation Campaign Nets Confuzzled Confusion

This Saatchi & Saatchi Romania-created campaign for skin irritation relief product Fentsil Gel confuses. When one thinks of a product that alleviates itching and burning, one usually conjures images of the product that does just that rather than what we see in this campaign.

To illustrate relief from bug bites, we see a person completely covered by bugs. To illustrate relief from a cat scratch, we see a woman covered in cats. To illustrate relief from a rose bush prick, we see a boy entangled in a rose bush. To illustrate relief from a burn, we see a guy covered with burning matches.

Um, huh?

Yea, we get the juxtaposed visual alliteration coming from the tube of Fentsil but still, it just seems a bit off. Hmm. Must be a European thing.

Brain Lost, Fashion Followed, Decision Made in Anti-Drug Campaign

From the Partnership or a Drug-Free America comes this Vigilante-created anti-drug TV campaign for the group's Above the Influence effort. It's aimed at African America teens and we think it hits the mark perfectly. Coming at the issue from three different angles, the campaign addresses typical teen truisms.

From the classic "where was your brain when you did this" to the "I'm the hippest kid in school because I lead and never follow" to "making the right decision begets positive reward," the campaign succeeds by finding multiple entry points that allow the campaign to appeal to differing mindsets.

AdFreak has the the spots here, here and here.

Found! New Ad Concept For Car Commercials!

Leo Burnett Argentina has created a wondrous new campaign for the Fiat Palio. There are no winding mountain roads. No people punching each other in the arm. No wine glass breakage. No metal ball rolling along the car's contours. No animals getting caught in the sunroof. No terrorist bombers. No hot girls spreading peanut on the hood. No rednecks slingshot from a four wheeler. No bikini clad hotties riding bicycles into the air ET-style. No sudden car crashes. And no Trunk Monkeys.

No. This time we have a seventies-era, 'fro fashioned dude rollerskating down the road while...people ride in his hair. It's the Palio Groove. And you thought there were no new ideas when it came to selling cars. See the ads below.

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