Pot Noodle the Musical

Here's good use of a minute!

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No, No, Not Too Many Sharks at Boca. Lately.

Here's an extended version of the American Express Travel ad that aired during the Emmy Pre-Show. In it, Martin Scorsese gives Tina Fey the hard sell on Boca Raton. It's the kind of thing we might characterize as funny, even if we didn't really watch it, just because it involves an awkward timeshare situation and Scorsese prattling -- almost, it seems, without end.

"There's a possibility of nine days -- not consecutive -- near the end of August, beginning of September." I like how he asks her to make the check out to "Cash."

By Ogilvy for American Express.

Take note, CP+B: In the realm of advertising, Scorsese's like the Seinfeld for a live-in-HD, less corny generation. His AmEx work aside, see what he did for Freixenet last year. (Seinfeld occasionally still does work for AmEx too, but it's all got a datedness to it.)

Know What 'Dishoom' Means? Congratulations! You're the Target Audience

Hoping to target a multicolored crowd that's "losing touch with antiquated [...] ethnic messages," calling card company Rebtel partnered with Monsoon Media, creators of the decidedly-ethnic web comic strip Doubtsourcing.

At left is one component of what Monsoon came up with. Inspired by old-school Bollywood print ads, it features Rebtel CEO Hjalmar Winbladh surrounded by multi-ethnic folk on cell phones. And an Asian dude with a gun. (A more direct and permanent form of communication, I guess.)

"Great service, dazzling features and super cheap rates! Rebtel CEO Hjalmar Winbladh is looking to dishoom ripoff calling plans!" the ad beams brightly.

At first I thought I read that wrong, but the pressie says "dishoom" is the sound a Bollywood hero makes when punching a bad guy. Well then, all right.

Future iterations of the campaign include a web component, some sort of tongue twister, and a third ad where a forlorn mother guilt-trips viewers into calling neglected relatives.

In Case You Ever Wondered Whether Cancer Has Feelings...

...it does, and they don't wish you well.

Time has taught me to look forward to French PSAs, whose entertainment value outpaces (often dire) American counterparts while maintaining a lighter, friendlier feel.

This French PSA for colon cancer is less action-packed than the AIDS PSAs we've been so stuck on. Like a rerun of Osmosis Jones, the :30 spot takes users on an animated trip inside an apparently-healthy man's body, where a grinning cancer cell waits, eager to wreak havoc and whatnot.

Its object is to convince men over 50 to get tested for colon cancer -- which, if caught early, can in most cases (the ad says nine out of 10) be cured. Launched by the National Cancer Institute, it airs from September 14-October 8 across most major French stations.

Twitter for Christ, Facebook Narcissists, Vaseline for Men, McCains on the Grill

- Recap of the McCain/Rachael Ray glee-fest.

- University of Georgia claims narcissists can be pegged by their Facebook photos.

- Save your soul -- and the rotting souls of others -- while microblogging. Way to multi-task!

- AIG yanks all corporate ad campaigns.

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Death by MINI? Sensational.

In an online spot called "Bzzzz. Mini Clubman," a passel of geriatric houseflies gather 'round for the emotional funeral of an ex-buddy, whose death is characterized as one "every fly wishes for," "legendary" and "bigger than life."

What happened to him? He was flattened mid-flight by a Clubman.

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Brin Blogs Heart Out, Lee Jumps Ship, CP+B Not Quite So 'PC'

- Google's Sergey Brin started a blog. In the first entry, he discloses his risk for Parkinson's disease. The New York Times probes why he'd do that.

- British actor Paul Kaye plays Seamus Murphy, the shady proprietor of an airport car park, for another one of those not-yet-viral "viral" campaigns. This is for Holiday Extras, a travel website.

- Esther Lee departs EuroRSCG.

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Lionsgate Copyright Nazis Foil Legit Promotional Effort

To promote W., Oliver Stone's artistic tribute to America's favorite President (insert eyeroll here), Lionsgate launched the W. Mashup Contest on YouTube.

Use the clips and audio/video composition tools to create your own trailer. Oliver Stone himself gets to decide which is best.

The problem is, YouTube immediately removes entries upon submission. One entrant says, "all that remains of your genius contest entry is the phrase 'This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Lionsgate'."

Here is the hole where an entry should be. (In the event that Lionsgate is smart enough to fix this, here's a screenshot.)

A complex promotion for a man who, at the very least, was a complex leader. Maybe they're only suppressing entries by users suspected of storing WMDs.

New Ads Say Corn Syrup's OK in Moderation

There's something crude and flippant about these new ads by the Corn Refiner's Association, which have begun advertising to undo all the bad PR surrounding high fructose corn syrup.

In one spot, a mother casually accuses another of not caring what her kids eat; in another, an uptight boyfriend insinuates his girlfriend doesn't love him because she's offered him an artificially sweetened Popsicle.

Both the girlfriend and the accused mom get the last word in the end. Turns out the corn syrup Nazis don't know why it's bad, and are apparently only following an invisible crowd of lemmings informed by, who knows, the nasty nasty liberal media.

Each spot ends with "You're in for a sweet surprise!" and guides users to SweetSurprise.com, which sports a gigantic, disarmingly fresh ear of (as-yet-unrefined?) corn.

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PCs Wear Many Hats, and Suits, and Some Wear Glasses, or Don't

"I'm a PC and I sell fish!"

Say what you will about the Microsoft/Seinfeld ad campaign (or "Phase I" of a grander design), it's hard not to like these fresh-out "I'm a PC" ads.

The spots -- quirky, friendly and feel-good -- debuted last night during The Office. See all three below.

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