I'm astonished by this ad by Lowe: Amsterdam. The comments below the advertisement on the site I pulled this from didn't understand the meaning - they were greatly confused. As one should be if unaware that fcuk was a clothing company instead of some "clever" way of using "fuck."

Regardless if you're aware or unaware that FCUK is a clothing company, and no matter How much money they are donating towards AIDS prevention, I believe the ad is completely inappropriate. Because really, the innuendo is "screw" for aids prevention. The contradiction of the century. How embarrassing for Humana and FCUK.

FCUK probably justified the ad under their label since their clothing line often sports labels with quotations like "fcuk me" or "fcuk the institution"...they get away with this for obvious reasons, but Who believed this was applicable to such a loaded topic like AIDS?

I'm disappointed with Lowe. Between the ads seen in class (Axe and the chasing beer belly) and this piece above, I'm really not impressed with the agency's level of respect/tact. Sometimes the name fits.

This ad by Grey for TAC (Transportation Accident Control) in Victoria will shred you apart. It's comprised entirely of clips of people showing a photograph of a family member lost in a speeding accident. These are children, teenagers and young adults. The clips also pan to show the home, front yard, bedroom, etc. where the accident victim would've spent time. Worst of all it shows the faces of the parents and brothers and sisters who are so pained - some are expressionless while others look mad, and some look like their heart had been pulled from their chest - similar to the expression I had on my face after watching this. The tag line is best: "This is why you're photographed when you speed." - the most convicting line I've heard.

Grey may have a boring reputation, but their documentary-like cinematography in this piece was wonderful. And the choice to pick families and homes of the middle to low class is worth noting. It's as if these families have little to begin with, and then take their child or sibling and they're left with nothing. The tone would've changed significantly if a different, more affluent, selection of demographics was chosen.

This commercial for Zyrtec by JWT Sydney can arguably compete with Wieden & Kennedy's phenomenal animations like the Honda "Hate Something" ad. The difference is that most of W&K's ads are substantial enough to carry the entire plot while this one above exists for the setting only. It does provide an experience that anyone suffering from alergies can relate with - pollen, blooms, insects, Spring atmosphere.

Intererstingly, JWT in Sydney has another animated ad for a candy company similar to gummy worms. The ad is set in a downtown city where a ten story girl puppet emerges and begins blowing bubbles from a large bag of the advertised candy. The candy floats above the crowd below and then pops to tranform into the chewy worms that fall then fall onto the crowd.

- - the ad described above And the Zyrtec ad are almost copies of the work W&K has done for Honda ("Hate Something") and the Coca-Cola ad using Macy's Day Parade.

The above ad for Louis Vuitton by Olgivy and Mather tells a narrative without words using video clips only from shots in what looks like East and Southeast Asia as well as Paris. The story is not clear, but provides a nostalgic collection of visual material and subjects that reminds me of Isak Dennisen and Out of Africa. This lengthy film does have drama, as characters leave, say goodbye, and cry, but the reasons are not clear. And this is most likely intentional. The purpose is to provide beautiful and exotic cinamatography that prompts the question, "where will life take you?"

This video clip pairs lovely with the print material in this campaign. I saw some recently in Architectural Digest and it too has a smokey atmosphere, is set somewhere in let's say the foothills of Mongolia, and shows the legs of a "well-heeled" lady walking aside a vintage train car stopped on the tracks. She, of course, carries a Louis Vuitton bag.

Art direction is fabulous. The pairing of a timeless (so it seems today) bag with such history and culture in foreign places is appropriate for the target market that has a romantic notion for what it means to travel and "experience." These consumers want drama and passion and movie-worthy experiences without the cost of roughing up those $1300 heels. Coach has done a similar move in recent campaigns with motifs of exotic travel, trains, smoke - nostalgia at its highest. Almost Ernest Hemingway. And on that note, Hemingway gone Ethan Allen.

Also worth noting is that the bag and labels are rarely shown until the end when a short clip manages to fit in the classic pattern. The bag sells itself and Ogilvy clearly knows this. Better to create possible experiences the consumer dreams of having with the bag.

While this Suzuki Kizashi (awesome car name) ad by Siltanen and Partners, USA, doesn't make the list, I couldn't overlook it for the menacing snowmen. When I illustrated work for John Deere last semester, I found that making an inanimate object not only animate, but have personality and expression was very difficult. Siltanen did a pretty good job to create the snowmen and then place them in a story that had a reasonable amount of action/tension/climax for a short commercial spot. They were not as believable as I would've liked, and seemed a bit incongruous with the snowy landscape - as if they were Too animated. But to reach the concept, their placement was perfect. Personifying the weather has been done in reference to Poseidon and Zeus, but it's very creative to have the weather contribute in this way. Snowmen are easy for people to realate with and seeing them attack was entertaining for the purposes of the ad.

The above commercial by 180:Amsterdam for Amstel beer had many negative reviews. Viewers thought it was boring and did not understand the message. It takes place in a laboratory where the bottle is being tested in a vacuum. The beer's reaction produces a small bubble that explodes and reshapes the top of the bottle. According the narrative, this is how the New Amstel beer changed the bottle's shape. It follows the campaign which was launched to promote the company's new beer. A print ad in this campaign says:

"Brewed in the same way since 1870 - until last year when we completely changed it."

I suppose the commercial above demonstrates how they changed the bottle. The tv shot has a 1970s feel to it and intended to speak to Amstels past. The exciting (?) twist in the commercial when the bottle reacts represents the new Amstel. When compared to the work 180:Amsterdam has done for MTV and Adidas, this commercial cannot compare.

It is also important to note that the tone of the new campaign is much drier than the poking-fun-at-beer-drinkin'-men commericals that preceded it. They were more on par with DDB's Budweiser ads.

Goodby Silverstein & Partners of San Francisco must have a menagerie in their production studio. From the cows, weasels, frogs, and now chickens, animals have been important for their casting.

Super Bowls are an ideal time for clients to introduce a new product or service with a huge audience across the States. Denny's restaurant was no exception in the 2010 Superbowl when they reintroduced their Free Grand Slam breakfast for anyone on their birthday. The commercial shows a terrified, screaming chicken while a middle-aged woman blows out her birthday candles. The chicken is no doubt concerned about the quantity of eggs it will need to produce for the hoards of people coming on their birthdays expecting a Grand Slam breakfast. The ad's concept does not require an Economist savvy audience to understand, and can speak to a broad range of people watching the super bowl.

TBWA has had a reputation for great creativity, and the above personified genitals confirm that. First, I was shocked to see the explicit material and had a difficult time taking it seriously. I could only think about Super Bad. But in reference to Aids, the creative concept is appropriate and the execution is really well done. The creative team did a phenomenal job to give the penis a personality that can be likened to a human actor - same goes for the variety of female representatives. And the choice of music was a good marriage to the narrative. The tempo was in sync with the actions. And the bathroom setting is one to which everyone can relate. I wonder though about the message. On the surface it makes sense: use a condom. But the last scene shows the male part having sex with a multitude of vaginas. What happened to the integrity of a single partner? And isn't this the best way to prevent Aids? In addition to this consideration, it is interesting that TBWA's Paris office created this commercial instead of its L.A. or NYC offices. This point helps prove the notion that Europe's tolerance/acceptance is greater for these more racy subjects and advertisements.

I'm not only astounded that DDB: Brazil would create this print ad for WWF, but that WWF would allow it to be published. The image is of many airplanes flying toward the twin towers of 9/11, in an attempt to state that this horror is the equivalent of an earthquake and would kill 100 times as many people as 9/11 did. While I do like the image (it's powerful), the comparison is inappropriate on an emotional level and contextually. As if WWF's funding could stop an earthquake? The message is foggy. This ad ran once and was then pulled. Reasonably so. It is interesting that DDB's Brazil office did this work. Maybe they believed their relation to America's tragedy was far enough removed to make this work acceptable.

For Northface, this ad by Saatchi & Saatchi is an illustration of the gross monster that "city" can be in opposition to nature. A dinosaur-like monster is created entirely of city material and it dwarfs a small person to the lower left who represents the man looking for the natural outdoors (Northface). I really like the use of black ink only. This simplicity is needed with such a complicated illustration. The illustration engages the viewer on a level similar to the Navia ad below. However, I'm not so sure how appropriate the ad is for the target. The target audience may appreciate and respond better to a simple, direct ad like the Jeep one - also below.

Most ads only demand a split-second glance to communicate an idea. And while this ad for Navia (navigation system) by TBWA explains the product quickly, it will most likely engage the viewer longer. The illustration is a detailed arial view of Venice and it's similar to looking at an amusement park map. People will want to search for the points of interest and see where the roads lead. This is the kind of print ad that should replace band posters in dorm rooms. The tag reads, "Lose yourself in Venice."

The Jeep ad above inventively uses the combined shapes of a camel and husky dog to create a Jeep form. The combination also creates a statement: Jeep combines the endurance of a camel and strength of a husky. Both animals are examples of extreme climates and terrain. The choice of two transparent colors to create a third mixed color helps make a direct statment. The visual subjects also reference road sign language. Ad is by BBDO Proximity, Malaysia.

This Audi A4 ad by Venables, Bell & Partners not only conceptually solid, but visually stimulating. The video walks the viewer into an elegant living room filled with late 19th cent. antiques and window coverings, communicating that a cultured, mature, wealthy person lives here. Then the room quickly transforms into modern luxury with increased sunlight. It's more than the aesthetics - it communicates a lifestyle - a fluffy frou-frou dog becomes a boxer. Finally, the view outside the window to the driveway shows a Mercedes-Benz transformed into an Audi A4. Even the garbage cans behind the car change to recycle bins. The mechanical way by which the scene transforms is awesome, and the message is clear that Progress is good.

This Honda Civic commercial by Weiden+Kennedy is phenomenal, and artful. It uses the voices and conductor from a choir to imitate the everyday/unnoticed sounds a car makes. For example: power windows, rain on car, driving through a tunnel, reving the engine. The choir is unexpectedly placed in a parking garage while Honda clips sync with their performance. The car clips are strong compositionally and so are the angles at which the camera pans the lips and faces of the choir members. It's an intimate experience.