Al Gore and Cameron Diaz Want You to Save the Earth

Anything to get people to care about Current TV. Al Gore has hooked up with Cameron Diaz to introduce its ":60 Seconds to Save the Earth" contest which calls for people to submit :15, :30 or :60 PSAs urging people to care about the climate. The winning spots will air on Current TV and on MySpace's Impact channel. So if you're feeling green and have the CGM itch, this is your chance to get something on the air as opposed to having it trashed by the client.

Happiness Factory + OutPost Gerbil = Guinness Music Machine

A little bit Happiness Factory and a little bit OutPost Gerbil Cannon, this new commercial for Guinness created by BBDO in Ireland and edited by Cut + Run celebrates what's inside its beer by shooting futuristic-looking Speed Racer-like guys out of what looks like musical instruments onto a set of drums. The result is an orchestral masterpiece of sorts

And, yes, we get it. The guys are beer. Though we are a bit irked by that first shot which is supposed to be the reflection of beer in one of the guy's helmets but, rather, looks a bit like a melting brain. But that's just us. Similar as it might, in theory, be to the aforementioned spots, it does get points for a certain originality we find hard to describe.

The four day shoot used real stunt men shot out of real air cannons onto real, eight-foot drums specially made for the shoot. Now that's a shoot we wouldn't mind attending.

So You Want to Work in Advertising? Read This First

For those of you just getting into the ad biz, Advergirl has some important tips for you. You might already know this but, despite what you may have been told, you ain't getting any training. You've been hired to put out and avoid fires for your boss. And, contrary to what you might think, you've also been hired to take the heat when your boss screws up. Just avoid all that crap by reading Advergirl's list and you'll avoid most of the ad jungle animals' tricks.

Window Blinds Save Suburban Cocktail Party

Who said suburban cocktail parties had to be boring? Or kids always jump on their parents' beds in the morning? Or your candlelit bath isn't as relaxing as it could be. Not Levelor who with four new spots created by Woodbine says their shades can make any situation simply by closing or raising their blinds. Check out one of the spots here.

Heineken Takes Svedka Vodka Robots to Dance Floor

For pure amusement it seems, Heineken has released DraughtKeg, a site on which you can upload your face to a futuristic robot who will then appear on the dance floor grooving to pseudo-futuristic dance music. It's all very retro...in a futuristic sort of way. And it's to promote their new, uber-cool keg that's, apparently, really, really better than your standard keg.

Let's imagine ourselves sitting in on the Publicis Modem Berlin Cameron (sorry, our PR rep mis-spoke. The campaign was created by Berlin Cameron. Modem handled online work and subcontracted out the creation of this website to Brothers by Choice) concepting session for this piece of work.

AE: "So you all saw the thing. It is pretty advanced for just a keg of beer, right?
AD: "Futuristic, even."
COPY: "The thing looks like some sort of mini-robot."
AD: "I got it! Robots. Beer. The future. A party. A robot dance party!"
AE: "Um, what about Svedka's robots?"
COPY: "Who gives a shit. Ours will be way better because...ooo...I got it...we'll let people upload their heads to the robots! All that social media shit, you know."
AE: "Uh, Trailer Crashers did that."
AD: "Dude. It's ALL been done before. It's not like you expected an original idea, right?"
AE: "Uh, I guess. Hey, just make it look cool OK? Like the music and shit. And make sure you show the fucking product!"
COPY: "Dude, we aren't idiots."
AE: "OK. I know. You rock. I need it next Thursday."
AE/AD/Copy: Three way fist-bump

Yeah, Another Candystand Game. Who Works on Thursdays Anyway?

Here's a distraction that's sure to derail your workday. In the interest of going simpler, Candystand gives us Jetboost, a game where all you have to do is make the little jetpack-wearing man jump as high as he can.

Each level lasts just a few seconds, which strangely makes you want to do a bunch. Oh, the marketing magic of bite-size.

Addictive. But then again, shiny objects usually are when you have something more important to do.

Keep the volume down if you're in your cubby hole -- er, cubicle. To note, we've long since stopped noticing what candy is advertised - but, foreseeing this, Candystand since began forcing users to sit through a short ad while the game loads. Those clever candy peddling rogues.

Dentist Drill An Understatement in Orangina Commercial

When someone sends us some "virals," which by itself a complete non-sequitur, we usually hover precariously over the delete button but this "viral" from Romania sparked our interest enough to watch it to completion. If you've ever had dentist office fears and enjoy over-the-top horror references, you just might like this commercial for Orangina.

Language Barrier Causes Alien Attack

At first, we were ready to cast aside this little online "game" for Steape Travel Translators but the more we clicked, the more we laughed. Who knew French dining could be so humorous? Who knew translation was so important to getting a good meal? Who knew ordering desert could result in an alien attack? Indeed.

Mr. T is for Virtualization. Anymore Excuses? Punk, We Didn't Think So

Mr. T, the earring-sporting punk-squasher from our '80s childhood, occasionally makes quirky ad appearances in which - to our surprise - he never seems to age.

And neither do his cameos seem to share a rhyme or reason. In a complete 180 from that last Snickers jaunt he did (see link above), he's just appeared in a string of Hitachi ads for virtualization technology.

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HBO Gets All Oblique on Our Asses with New -- er, Axed 'John from Cincinnati' Series

You may want to watch out for the deceptively simple-seeming John from Cincinnati - even if it's just to see the main title sequence, whose creative director, Angus Wall, was also behind Big Love, Rome and Carnivale.

A collaboration between Rock Paper Scissors and A52, the opening is unique in that it gives nothing away (not even main characters!), leaving us stewing in feelings of surfer's nostalgia and little more.

Check it out here. It starts out slow and, for some reason, occasionally brings Flipper to mind - then it kind of grows on you. All in all it ain't a bad way to burn a minute.

Update: We just got word from Jetpacks, DarnellWorks and reader James that the show got canned yesterday. Suxors. But apparently it was good, so if you want to rally for another season, hurry and try saving it.