volkswagen olympic cheer-mobile

Warning: this ad may be a bit noisy, but pretty amusing (once you know the premise).

To give people a chance to win tickets to go to the Olympics to cheer on their country, Volkswagen Netherlands let people drive a VW and try to do the quickest 100m sprint in the car for a chance to win tickets.

The catch? The car was powered only by their cheers and screams, proving that they are worthy fans to even make the trip. The resulting enthusiasm and intensity of the contestants is truly commendable. They deserve a gold for effort. 

Check out more of the technical side of this here. 

rose colored wine bottle turned glasses

What great and creative packaging design. A new wine called "Pink Glasses" designed its bottle of rose  so it can be turned into role-colored glasses.

Great for parties - as long as your guests make sure the bottle is empty before playing with it. 

Created by Luksemburk.

interactive grandma pampers men with flu

Men. So tough. Until they get a little tickle in their throats, and they turn into helpless little baby sheep (or something weak and vulnerable).

In Australia, they are promoting the flu medicine Strepsils in campaign that plays up on this truth stereotype by creating a website, where men can be pampered by an interactive Grandma figure, who will comfort them with all compliments, hugs and more. It's taken one step further with personalization via Facebook connect. 

You can check out all the pampering coddling action at OnlinePamperer.com.

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call danica patrick's cell

This Nationwide Insurance TV spot, featuring Danica Patrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr.,includes a very clever call-to-action.

Dale pulls a prank on Danica and reveals "her" cellphone number in the ad. But if you actually call the number, you get a message from Danica reminding you to visit the website, and asks fans to leave a message on how to get Dale back. Which, even if not turned into a new ad, it's still pretty engaging.

A bit more engaging and clever than a similar tactic employed by Little Ceasar's spot here.

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neatly folded movie wardrobes

Proving that a classic film's wardrobe is just as memorable as the characters who wears them, “Sport & Style” magazine photographer Candice Milon has captured the essence of classic film through clothing. Can you guess them all?

superness brewed in

At the Hahn Brewery, superness is brewed right into the beer. Need proof?

Knight Rider song infused barley through massive speakers, check.
Pounded by body builders in leotards, check.
Exposed to kung fu movies, check.
Churned by a monster truck Delorean, check.
Mixed in an immense drum-kit, check.
Poured over a fountain of winning trophies, check.
Fermented in a jumpsuit wearing vat, check.
Stroked by a smooth character as it fills a glass panther, check.
Approved by a CEO hovering outside in a solid gold helicopter, check.

I wonder how much Hahn beer the crew at Sydney agency Publicis Mojo consumed during the creation of this ad?

DD's radio aroma... yes, radio aroma

We’ve all experienced the nasty smells and stuffy air of public transportation; but we deal. Wouldn't morning bus rides be more amiable if we could replace the bus odor with the fresh aroma of coffee!

Amongst a growing coffee industry, the competition between cafés is tough. Dunkin’ Donuts wanted to break away from their reputation as a donut shop and become known as a dominant coffee provider. To do so, they created a machine that recognized their own tune and when heard released the smell of coffee. The released aroma coincided with radio advertisements and placement of passenger drop off. The result, increased sales and people now think of Dunkin’ Donuts for morning coffee.

here's one for opening day -- throw your trash away

Naturally, any time there is a large crowd and the masses gather, they’ll no doubt be a large clean-up afterwards.

To encourage clean-up in the streets of London for the 2012 Olympics, a podium was positioned around a trash bin. Applause and cheering sounds are heard through a speaker when you step on the podium and reach on top of the bin. As the cheers stop the monitor takes a photo and sends it to the 2012 London Olympics official site. This engages people to help and emphasizes that everyone can make a difference in keeping the city clean.

luminescent art gardens

Gardens in an entirely new light. Spanning 23 acres of Longwood Gardens (just outside Philadelphia), artist Bruce Munro exhibits his stunning “Light” installations. The art exhibition includes six outdoor and two indoor large-scale displays, which showcase beautiful and stunning luminescent artwork. Can’t get enough, view more here or see his exhibit in-person until September 29^th. 

advertising erotica (sfw)

Ram...briefs...yes sir, may I have another....  No these aren't dirty words from the hit book Fifty Shades of Grey, they're words you may hear every day in the advertising industry.  

Even if you haven't read the book  you might appreciate the blog Fifty Shades of Advertising that presents daily scenarios from the workplace in a humorous, "fifty" fashion. Or maybe you won't, because if you may come to realize that you are in fact a submissive. 

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the cutest lint rollers....ever

Let's all bow down to the mighty lint roller for a sec, k? Those things are glorified masking tape rolls that save you from embarrassing, fuzzy or hairy incidents. 

In this hilarious campaign for 3M, they show the rollers as actual animals, conveying the mighty power of the lint roller. Cute, funny and to the point. Well done, sirs. 

is that book you're wearing?

Aahhh....the smell of old librarian Cummings in the morning. E. E. Cummings that is. 

Now you can smell like books with a new perfume called Paper Passion, created by Steidl. Book worms everywhere: rejoice. 

play, pigeon, play

Jazz is for the birds. Literally.

To promote the Standard Bank Jazz Festival, TBWA set up instruments in Pigeon Park in South Africa, baited with popcorn and crumbs for them to devour. 

The results? A cacophony of spontaneous sounds, resembling jazz, as the pigeons ate their hearts out. Are pigeon flash mobs the next big thing? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

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feed and humiliate squirrels

Make sure you have a camera nearby, possibly even instagram open. This is the Big Head Squirrel Feeder. A feeder you hang inches off the ground. Fill it with some nuts and wait. Hopefully you'll catch this spectacle. Ah, how humiliating, if squirrels only knew.

david beckham photobombs

Heart warming video alert: In London at the 2012 Olympics, soccer fans were invited inside a photo booth to take some photos in support of the team. What they didn't know was that David Beckham was going to join them. Here are some reactions caught on film by Adidas.

ikea's new catalog and app

Here is a teaser video for Ikea's upcoming 2013 catalog and app. Using your iphone or android, roll over the images in the catalog and you'll get extra information, photo galleries, and design inspiration. What else will Ikea do?

soup truck for you

The Soup Nazi is coming...the SOUP NAZI is COMING! No really - he is. To a city near you, hopefully.

A Seinfeld soup truck is touring the country, and will have special guest - Larry Thomas, the actor who played the Soup Nazi. The soup will feature a bunch of soups with names that reference Seinfeld episodes. Pretty ingenious. 

Check out the truck's scheduled stops here. 

sprite showers for everyone

Who wants a refreshing, sticky shower? Anyone?

Sprite created a visual outdoor display at a beach by making the showers resemble a giant Sprite soda dispenser. Luckily for the beach-goers it's still just water. 

location based QR codes

Ah, the QR code. It's like a pesky mosquito that just won't go away.

But here's a somewhat practical use of one: Cafe Joe in Israel placed a QR code in newspaper print ads that, when scanned, would lead readers to the nearest location where they could get a free cup of coffee. 

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pop goes the zit

Warning: this may make you gag. And yes, it's an ad.

Oxy, an Australian skincare brand that claims its engineered for male skin, created a commercial featuring YouTube videos of guys popping zits - er, very large, puss-filled zits. It's disgusting, but potentially effective in getting the attention of its target. Maybe? Maybe not?

uniqlo pinterest takeover

A reported 13 million registered users makes Pinterest one of the fastest growing social media websites on the internet. To get noticed, Japanese clothing brand UNIQLO recently hijacked the site to increase awareness of their Dry Mesh Tshirts. Part of the new UNIQLO Innovation Project (UIP), the idea to create the first ever branded mosaics was conceived and executed by New York digital agency Firstborn.

As users scrolled through Pinterest public feeds, giant blocks of images appeared. Together, the image blocks worked to create the impossible to miss branded mosaics. As users continued to scroll down, the branded images seem to animate.

If your a Pinterest user you're probably wondering how they did it. If you're not wondering, you're probably a guy. At any rate, to reach consumers, the campaign targeted five categories: Men's Apparel, Women's Apparel, Geek, Fitness and Sports. To evade Pinterest's detection algorithms, Firstborn set up over 100 shell accounts ahead of the launch. A group of Firstborn employees simultaneously pinned pre-selected images to successfully free users from the monotony of Pinterest scrolling. Pretty damn cool.



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Instasham

Funny because it's true.

the brandalism project

Fed up with consumer culture and giant ads that practically scream at passerby', a UK crew of 25 has set out to reclaim 50 U.K. billboards. Inspired by 20th century guerilla art and armed with the goal to "confront the ad industry and take back our visual landscapes." Or as the brandelism team puts it, "taking the piss with a point"

The collaborative project sees 25 artists from 8 countries working together to share their talents in such diverse disciplines as street art, graffiti, illustration, political art, photo montage and culture jamming. The results, 33 billboards down 17 to go.

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brew technology for a cup o' joe on the go

Caffeine addicts and coffee junkies, here’s another way to have coffee on the go!

French press style coffee from Grower’s Cup that lets you brew right from the packaging. This clever packaging allows you to pour hot water directly into the bag of coffee grinds and using built in filter technology, you can pour a fresh cup o’ Joe right into your cup.

interactive advertisement to stop violence

In Germany, the greatest health risk for women is violence; one in four women are beaten and threatened by their partner. To help support and take action against violence towards women, the iPad edition of German VOGUE featured this startling interactive advertisement that is sure to tug at your emotions. 

a special drink for drivers

What bar doesn’t want to promote their business; business is made on customers buying drinks! But in Brazil, the harsher traffic laws didn’t help decrease drunk drivers, so Blá Bar had an idea to help.

Arrive at the bar, and the valet takes note of who drove there. Then when the first round is served, only the driver received a special mug with funny sayings showing the effects alcohol has on them. The result- most drivers switched over to non-alcoholic drinks, while the ones who didn't received a taxi ride. 

eff the arctic! let's go!

Ah Greenpeace is at it again with their crazy, purposeful antics.

P'ed off about Shell's intent to drill oil in preserved Arctic territories, they created a fake Shell website and are asking the outraged to create fake ads for drilling in the Arctic (deadline tomorrow). Select ads will be printed and placed all over the world.

Serious topic, but some fantastic ads. Oh, sarcasm is so powerful.

a blast of refreshing in yo' face

Crazy interactive, surprise and delight-y type vending machines are a hot thing right now. Here's another one, from Levissima Water, that blasts you in the face with a blizzard when you grab a water. In this 100+ weather, I say bring it!

an apple a day keep the excitement away

Apple ads are simple, clean, beautiful... just like their products. So shouldn't everything be like Apple? Meh, no so much.

Art Director, Bryan Evans, proves how boring the world would be with these Apple-fied ads.

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colgate's photoshop problems

Y&R Brazil have created an entertaining campaign for Colgate dental floss by incorporating some fun photoshop disasters. The campaigns purpose is simple, people will notice the food stuck in between your teeth before they'll notice anything else. See if you can spot anything out of the ordinary.

"Not even that extra hand gets more attention than a mouth without care."

"Not even that missing ear gets more attention than a mouth without care."

"Not even that six-fingered hand gets more attention than a mouth without care."

ikea makes beer

Yes, IKEA the makers of futon beds and all things cheap and stylish have introduced a new line of beverages to their cafeterias. That's right, beer. Öl Mörk Lager AKA Dark Lager Beer. It's only available in the UK at £1.75 ($2.74) per 12-ounce bottle and people have been suprisingly pleased with it, scoring above average ratings on Untappd.

But the same can't be said for Öl Ljus Lager, the regular lager, with one reviewer stating "Beer from a bottle that tastes like cheap beer from a can." Yikes!