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Adweek's Top 5 Commercials of the Week: March 1-7

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/07/2014 - 14:14

Get ready to ride the emotional roller coaster that is this week's best commercials. Your sadness for a girl whose life is torn apart by war will turn to tears of joy as you behold the strength of Samsung's Paralympic athletes and the uplifting message Facebook brings in "We Are Not Alone." And you may even laugh when you consider all Godzilla needs to keep a cool head is a Snickers bar. Why didn't Japan try that? At the risk of seeming schizophrenic to those around you, watch all five ads below—and vote for your favorite. And if your favorite isn't here, tell us in the comments.

FTC Busts ADT for Failing to Disclose Paid Endorsers

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/06/2014 - 23:21

ADT's on-air "independent" experts have set off all kinds of alarms at the Federal Trade Commission, which found that the home security company failed to disclose that the experts, which appeared on more than 40 different media outlets, were paid to endorse ADT's products and services. Viewers to NBC's Today Show and listeners to Daybreak USA on the radio may have thought they were watching or hearing an unbiased news story or review about home security. But what they actually got was a slick sales pitch.

Tennis Gets Quirky in USTA's New Ads From the Director of Napoleon Dynamite

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/06/2014 - 21:38

Ever wonder what tennis can do for you? Well, for starters, it can make you smarter, stronger, happier, more attractive and pretty much invincible. The United States Tennis Association doesn't skimp on the specifics of the sport's many benefits to its athletes in this new campaign from DDB New York, targeting millennials. And the messages are delivered in decidedly offbeat fashion, thanks to the inimitable style of director Jared Hess, who made Napoleon Dynamite.

Here's a Pretty Amazing Ad That Will Make You Feel Awful, Then Wonderful

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/06/2014 - 20:23

This will be a particularly brief writeup, as it wouldn't be fair to spoil the ending of this ad. (The brand seems to know this, too, by keeping the video's title as vague as possible.) Yes, it's called "Unloved," but you'll love it plenty in the end.

Pepsi MAX Brings You 2 of This Week's YouTube Brand Hits

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/06/2014 - 18:55

The brand performing best on the VideoWatch/VidIQ YouTube brand chart this week is Pepsi MAX, which took the top two spots with extreme acts of driving and running. The brand's No. 1 video netted a whopping 9.66 million views, thanks to a follow-up spot to last year's enormous viral hit "Test Drive," in which Jeff Gordon, in disguise, took a car salesman for the most terrifying ride of his life.

Ad of the Day: Amy Poehler Brings the Funny for Old Navy

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/06/2014 - 18:44

Once upon a time, Old Navy commercials were generally accepted as wonderful. They were bright, colorful, kitschy, silly and instantly recognizable. But eventually, as these things go, they got old. The public moved on, while Old Navy, with its mannequins and goofy taglines, remained stuck in the 2000s. Since the retailer split with Crispin Porter + Bogusky last summer, though, its advertising—from Chandelier Creative in New York—has experienced a bit of a revival. First, there was the Black Friday ad with the delightful Melissa McCarthy.

Facebook's Most Heartwarming Ad Reminds Us, 'We Are Not Alone'

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/06/2014 - 17:51

When we praised Facebook's new ad campaign the other day for being "down to earth," little did we know the best spot in the series would be anything but. The social network's newest ad, "We Are Not Alone," is possibly its best ever. We see cosplayers preparing their over-the-top outfits for an upcoming gathering, then watch as they exit the baffled "real world" and arrive to bond with their fellow fans.

'Wake Up and Smell the Bacon' With Free Alarm Gadget From Oscar Mayer

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/06/2014 - 16:22

In case you haven't experienced the surreal delight of being guided from slumber by the smoky allure of "the nostril's north star," then Oscar Mayer might have the alarm clock for you. The brand's "Wake Up and Smell the Bacon" promotion will give out 4,700 bacon-scented smartphone attachments over the next month.

Woman's Newspaper Ad Calling Out Her Cheating Husband Is a Thing of Beauty

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 03/06/2014 - 15:29

If you need any passive-aggressive copywriting done, contact Timeshia Brown, a Texas woman whose revenge ad on her cheating husband is an absolute classic of the form. The ad reads: "I would like to say congratulations to Shara Cormier and Patrick Brown. They are expecting a baby. Hope you both are really in love and I hope it works out. Always, Patrick's wife, Timeshia Brown." Can we get a slow clap?