'Assassin's Creed' ads give cold, dead stare

To promote Assassin's Creed 2, video-game developer Ubisoft is running some of the most enigmatic and compelling pre-roll ads I've ever seen. OK, so they're actually the only enigmatic and compelling pre-roll ads I've ever seen. The 15-second spots, from agency Cutwater, feature little more than dead stares and the game's Web address. You can watch them all here. Sure, there's a lengthier version, complete with contract-killing hero and some slick gameplay footage. But I really prefer the pre-rolls spots, which operate under the premise that "gamers get it."