We reviewed more than 100 commercials that began

We reviewed more than 100 commercials that began airing in June. Like most months, it's not all that much fun watching back-to-back spots for more than an hour. Concepts are often too thin to support even thinner strategies, and executions fall flat, despite the talent involved. It's advertising. And while June saw excitement surrounding the World Cup and the onset of the summer season, only a few spots impressed, and only a few others were fresh and entertaining enough to make the cut.The best spot from last month did however tap into the soccer fever that swept the globe, an Adidas spot called "Partido." Filmed in a Spanish-speaking country, the commercial, directed by Ivan Zacharias, celebrates the love of the sport through the imaginative eyes of a young boy playing on an urban field. Soccer stars like David Beckham and Zinedine Zidane join him and his friend in the game until his mother yells for him to come in. Playtime is over, the boy reluctantly goes home and his new playmates disappear in the latest from Adidas' "+10" campaign.Other continuing campaigns that offered fresh executions included Miller Lite's "Can Debate," another spot in the "Man Laws" series that features a motley crew of actors, including Burt Reynolds, and vaguely familiar TV personalities. In this spot, the discussion is all about crushing cans on foreheads. "As a culture, is this the way we want to be remembered?" asks one, while another argues that it is "hilarious." "It's hilarious because it's moronic, not because it's funny." Ultimately, they decide forehead crushing is "lame" because the machismo it accentuates is no longer valid since aluminum cans aren't made as strong as in the past. The dialogue is quick and funny, and each spot delves into male beer-drinking culture in a way that rings all too true.A new spot from Orbit gum from its "good clean feeling no matter what" series sends Snoop Dogg to hell. His "dirty mouth" at a school's career day sends him straight down to join a bunch of cackling elderly women in devil outfits holding his CDs. But Orbit saves him from eternal damnation when the stylish British Orbit spokeswoman appears with a white goat and cleans up his foul mouth with the mint gum. In the next shot, Snoop is in heaven, surrounded by beautiful women in white. A new spot from Mountain Dew takes viewers to the scene of a martial arts expert and his new pupil. Although the master has taught his student well, the young man isn't quick enough to keep his hands on his Dew, even after seasons of training. We've seen this scenario in spots before, but it's well produced and details—like his arduous training that includes a wheel of hands for him to practice on—add to the humor. And finally, for the most interesting debut of last month, the first Snickers work from TBWA New York. An office worker is eating his candy bar, when a man in a suit and tie asks him if he'd like help enjoying it. The employee just gives him a funny look, but the suit pulls out a guitar and starts singing a tune about the bar. It's silly, but manages to highlight the product attributes in an unexpected way.

Brand Marketing

We reviewed more than 100 commercials that began

Eleftheria Parpis

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Eleftheria Parpis