You Have Never Seen A Presidential Ad Like This One

You can just feel Michael Bay pumping his fist in the background of this movie trailer-esque video for former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty as it crescendos with patriotic bravado and pulls at the heartstrings. No matter your political beliefs, if you aren't at least moved in some way by this commercial then you are beyond jaded and there isn't much hope for you.

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Emma Watson Shows Leg, Taco Bell Rebutts, Shoes Socialized

- Harry Potter cutey, Emma Watson, is fronting the new Spring/Summer campaign for People Tree, an "eco-chic" fashion line.

- To combat the "creative crisis" in U.S. schools brought on by standardized curricula and testing, No Right Brain Left Behind is turning to the creative community and asking it to develop educational programs that foster creativity.

- Taco Bell is launching a campaign to refute claims made in a class action suit which states the brand falsely advertises its meat as "seasoned ground beef" or "seasoned beef" when it's claimed it actually uses mostly filler and less beef than is required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's standard.

- TAXI and the Tomorrow Awards have announced they will host the first Tomorrow Awards event in Montreal on March 31st.

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Importance of Innovation Illustrated With Anachronisms

A new Innocean Worldwide-created campaign for the new Hyundai Sonata Hybrid asks us to ponder what the world would look like it we settled for the first thing that came along and placed no value on innovation.

In the ad, we see the first incarnations of many technological advancement such as the bicycle, the mobile phone, the television, the typewriter, the camera, the silent movie, the turntable all while Jeff Bridges points out we'd never have hybrid cars if we simply settled for the first car that came along.

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Fashion Brand Employs Lesbian Heterosexuality

Is a new campaign for fashion brand Jean Paul Gaultier, we see what appears to be two women in the throes of a passionate kiss. One of the models is Victoria's Secret model Karolina Kurkova, currently the highest paid female model in the world. The other model is...think The Crying Game...the very androgynous Andrej Pejic, currently the highest paid male model in the world.

So yea, it's a lesbian kiss but only before you realize one of the woman is actually a man. hey, this is fashion advertising. They can do whatever they want and still call it advertising. It's a waste of time to bother figuring out what they're thinking. Except for the fact this ad brilliantly reinforces the notion most fashion brands are all about pushing the envelope and challenging accepted norms.

Coke Takes on Starbucks With POP Placement

Floyd Hayes brings to our attention a window display Coke placed next to a Starbucks store on Broadway in New York City. The sign reads, with images of Diet Coke, reads, "Who has time to stand in line for a latte?"

We think it might be time for the employees of that Starbucks to step outside and accidentally discharge all of their whip cream canisters all over that Coke sign.

Saab Relaunches Brand Post GM

Explaining the new McCann Detroit-created campaign, entitled The Story of Saab, which launched Wednesday, Saab Marketing Communications Manager Nicole Jankowski said, "The idea behind the campaign is independent thinking, but, most importantly, it will let everyone know that Saab is back, here to stay and that we never went away - what we stand for and who we compete against."

Print will include placements in the Wall Street Journal and a television campaign will kick off January 21. An late to the consumer-generated game, Saab will ask its Facebook fans to develop ads for the campaign, some of which may be incorporated into the campaign.

Jankowsi says the campaign will re-launch the brand - which has been absent from the marketplace for the better part of a year after it was sold by GM to Spyker Cars NV - and will form the basis of a long-term, brand building effort.

Justin Bieber, Ozzy Osbourne Team For Best Buy Super Bowl Ad

In a very unlikely pairing, Justin Bieber, 16, and Ozzy Osbourne, 62, along with his wife, Sharon, will appear in a Best Buy commercial, the first for the brand, during the Super Bowl. No details were provided regarding the content of the spot other than it would "showcase creativity and humor."

Of the pairing, Best Buy Senior VP of U.S. Marketing Drew Panayiotu said, "We're delighted to have Justin and Ozzy help us tell the Best Buy story. We know people have high expectations for these ads and Justin and Ozzy add a whole new dimension of fun."

A whole new dimension of fun, indeed. And a whole new dimension of WTF?