Best PSA + Worst Product Placement = Week's Most Read Stories

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Amidst the onslaught of bikinis, celebrities and breasts, it's nice to see a few other subject areas rise to the top of the pile on Adrants this past week. Tops among the non boob-related stories last week was the news that the stunningly beautiful Embrace Life seat belt safety PSA won YouTube's Ad of the Year Award. And on the flip side of that stellar work, we were treated to some of the most horrifically forced product placement ever to grace television. Enjoy reliving the week:

1. Polish Politician Pimps Political Prowess in Bikini 2. Taylor Momsen Didn't Always Wear Black Eye Shadow and Slutty Clothes
3.Law School Shocked Over Racy Diesel Ad Shoot
4. Victoria Justice Joins Photoshop Disasters For Got Milk Campaign
5. Hypocrisy + Idiocy = Candies Safe Sex PSA
6. Facebook Hates Breast Feeding
7. 'Days of Our Lives' Riddled With Horrific Product Placement
8. Beckinsale, Deschanel, Larter Drop, Twist and Bleed For Absolut
9. Infographic Compares Mad Men Era to Today
10. Embrace Life PSA Wins YouTube Ad of the Year

by Steve Hall    Nov-21-10    
Topic: Cause, Celebrity, Policy, Racy



Embrace Life PSA Wins YouTube Ad of the Year

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If you can't watch this ad without it bringing a tear to your eye, then something is very wrong with you. Well, maybe that's just us but it is one of the best ads ever created. We're talking about the wondrous Alexander Commercials-created ad called Embrace Life for the UK's Sussex Safer Roads during which a father is saved, in tear-jerking slow motion, by his daughter and wife who take on the role of seatbelt.

The ad just won YouTube's Ad of the Year Award, besting Old Spice's I'm on a Horse.

Copyranter points out the ad came from a relative unkown and nabbed only a Bronze at Cannes. You don't have to be famous and work for a big agency to create great work.

To date, the ad has been viewed over 11 million times on YouTube.

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by Steve Hall    Nov-19-10    
Topic: Best, Cause, Industry Events



Ad Calls Attention to Paraplegia by Encasing Woman in Cement

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An ad for Spain's TV3 promoting a telethon to raise money to fight paraplegia is the latest entry in Copyranter's Inappropriate Humor PSA category. But is it really all that inappropriate? We went to a source who should know: a friend who is a paraplegic.

She thinks the ad is very effective and told us, "I think that's a great ad because that's exactly how people feel when they can't move. Great emotional pull without being insensitive."

It's hard to imagine what life would be like without the use of one's legs or, worse, one's entire body. No ad can truly hope to emote to a fully functional four-limbed human what life would be like sitting in a chair but this ad tries.

by Steve Hall    Nov-18-10    
Topic: Cause



Condom Maker Does Choose Your Own Sexual Adventure

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When it comes to having sex, it's all about making the right choices. So, what better way to encourage young, horny 16-24 year olds to make the right choices than by giving them the chance to experience the outcome of their choices.

Using the choose your own adventure approach, UK-based NHS Bristol and NHS Choices is out with a Omni Productions-created YouTube video campaign that follows the night time adventures of several young kids making there way through the night. Along the way, they are given various choices. Buy a condom. Don't buy a condom. have sex without a condom. Have sex with a condom.

While not displaying full nudity, the video campaign doesn't shy away from showing the heat of the sexual moment...and the consequences of making the wrong choice.

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by Steve Hall    Nov-18-10    
Topic: Cause, Racy, Video



Got Milk Gets Lindsey Vonn

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Unless you're an avid skier, you probably have no idea who Lindsey Vonn is. Well, she's an Olympic Gold Medal winner for downhill skiing. The win, during the 2010 Winter Olympics, was a big deal because it was the first time an American woman took home the Gold.

Earlier this week, two new Got Milk ads featuring Vonn made their debut and we are speechless. Horrified. Words simply cannot describe. How could her handlers allow this? How could this have passed through the approval process? How could they allow this offense to be seen by the public. The ramifications of this will be felt for years. Who was asleep at the wheel and allowed this travesty?

Clearly, her boobs look much too large and they should have been digitally reduced.

by Steve Hall    Nov-18-10    
Topic: Cause



Hypocrisy + Idiocy = Candies Safe Sex PSA

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We must say, we have to agree with AgencySpy on this one. OMG! Did we just say that? Yes we did. Why? Because we hate the new Bristol Palin/The Situation PSA from the Candies Foundation touting safe sex.

Upon watching this commercial, AgencySpy wrote, "After watching this, I want to punch my computer in the face, hop on a plane, punch the fucking Situation in the face, hop on another plane, punch Palin in the face, then shoot myself in the face so I never have to experience this monstrosity again."

It's that bad. It really is. It's hypocritical. It's poorly written. It's poorly acted. It's inane. It's painful to watch. Seriously, don't even bother to watch it. If you do, you'll hate yourself for the rest of the day. You have been warned.

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by Steve Hall    Nov-17-10    
Topic: Cause, Worst



Film Festival Celebrates Boobs

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OK, Perhaps that headline is a bit misleading. Toronto-based Hive is out with new work for Rethink Breast Cancer's Breast Fest Film Festival, the first film festival to celebrate breast cancer.

Hive is promoting the festival with wild postings, cinema ads and a four minute musical. It's actually quite inspiring work.

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by Steve Hall    Nov-12-10    
Topic: Cause, Video



Gap Grabs iCrossing Exec For Holiday Promotion

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Do you like when you see your friends in commercials? We do which is why we're going to share a new commercial from Gap with you which features iCrossing Director of Strategy Alisa Leonard. She's smart. She's beautiful. She's a geek. She's perfect for Gap's new charitable cause campaign which promises $1 to Leonard's (and others in the campaign as well) charity of choice for every Like her ad receives on Facebook.

So head over to Alisa's video on the Gap Facebook page (or any and all you choose to view) and click Like. It's for a good cause, you know. In Alisa's case, it's for Goods For Goods.

You can see her on Gap's websites here and here too.

by Steve Hall    Nov-12-10    
Topic: Brands, Campaigns, Cause



Girls With Boobs...Uh...Guns Pose For Charity

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Girls with guns. It's a thing, you know. How it began we have no idea. Nor do we care. But can you say "phallic symbol?"

Here's a video of the photoshoot which resulted in a Hot Shots calendar to benefit the charity Help for Heroes. At first, we didn't quite realize what we were looking at. With all those gigantic breasts spilling out of their tiny tops, it took us a while to even realize the girls were carrying guns. But that's out problem. Not yours.

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by Steve Hall    Nov- 8-10    
Topic: Cause, Racy



Endangered Species Plead Their Case in Biodiversity Effort

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Who the hell invented the term "biodiversity?" It sounds like some kind of namby pamby version of a perfectly good word that's been around forever: extinction. Yea, biodiversity is all about being nice to endangered animals so they aren't forever erased from this earth.

Can't we just say what we mean? Do we always have to invent "softer sounding" phraseology when all we really need to say is "hey, there aren't a lot of blobfish around so stop killing them. That said, this new campaign from for Biovision from Walker Zurich is amusing enough.

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by Steve Hall    Oct-27-10    
Topic: Cause