By Les Kollegian

When I visited the approximate 480 employee staff of Weiden & Kennedy in Portland Oregon last year, I was beyond amazed and in awe of my surroundings there. I mean… they have stadium seating for their meetings. Really?!?! I have 11 people in my small Web design firm. All I could do was think of what their monthly overhead is and I needed aspirin before I left the building.

This Super Bowl commercial written by two talented dudes over there deserves a hand shake and maybe a golf clap. This video below shows the making (it’s 20 min…but totally worth it if you’re into this stuff) and the Director and Actor just did an amazing job. What’s real and what’s CGI? I never would have guessed. See below.

by Jonathan Marshall

The fragrance of hops and the lightness of froth, for the first time in a gloss. On Valentine’s Day – the gift for her that makes you happy too.

Advertising Agency JWT nailed this concept – “Shining lips, golden highlights and an irresistible taste. For a long-lasting effect- repeat application.

“In this advertising campaign, JWT uses the simple yet comical differences between men and women as the foundation concept for Heineken’s creative advertising. Another good example of this would be their “Walk-in Fridge” spot they made about a year ago, also included below.

Bottomline – according to Heineken, men and women have completely different priorities, and at their most basic of levels, they want different things – a walk-in fridge of Heineken instead of a walk-in closet, and a lip gloss (for their gf) that tastes like Heineken instead of a lip gloss like Pink Whisper or Midnight Mocha Boom…

by Jonathan Marshall

Depending on where you live, yesterday’s Superbowl was more about watching an exciting football game and some great commercials than it was about the Colts vs. the Saints. Nobody in San Diego has really cared for a couple of weeks, although I must say – happy to see ex-Charger Drew Breeze get his first Superbowl.

While there were many memorable, funny and entertaining commercials from yesterday, my favorite was the one with the Green Police, and the Audi A3 TDI clean diesel. Audi recently received Green Car Journals 2010 Green Car of the Year, which provided the creative foundation for their million-dollar-plus Superbowl commercial.

The Audi commercial was clever and sharp on many different levels, and ultimately it probably provoked more than laughs because it dared to satirize what is typically a taboo subject: the environmental movement.

Most would say that is sensitive and unfamiliar ground for an automaker to tread, but Audi – and its advertising agency, Venables Bell & Partners – pulled it off in a skillful and light-hearted manner. Their creative agency convinced them to spend all or most of their Super Bowl budget on an ad campaign that would spoof the same environmental ideas that many Americans are beginning to deal with today: the paper-or-plastic grocery-store guilt and even whether we should be allowed to choose the temperature of our own hot tubs. I would definitely get in trouble for that last one…

Anyway, what was your favorite commercial? And why? Let us know…

by Jonathan Marshall

Maybe it’s because Gordon just got a little french bulldog puppy, or maybe it’s because I think this commercial is pretty funny… maybe it’s both. This TV spot is the first of several spots that advertising agency TBWA/Chiat Day has released for Pedigree’s 2010 advertising campaign. TBWA/Chiat Day is one of the largest, and most internationally-recognized creative agencies in the world.

I had no idea that 4/5 dogs over the age of 3 have gum-disease. I did know that tartar build-up can be a contributing factor, but if your dog uses Dentistix from Pedigree, apparently it won’t be a problem.

Also, props toTBWA for really pulling out the big guns with the David Duchovny voice-over…