As I witnessed my Pittsburgh Steelers fall to the cheese heads, I couldn’t help but be sullen throughout the night. But at least there is something good I can claim: not all of the car commercials sucked during the Super Bowl. Most of them sucked, I admit (especially the Hyundai ones), but not all of them. Three, in particular, stood out above the rest. “The Force” by Volkswagen came out on top, featuring pint-sized Darth Vader too. It currently has 20.98 million hits on YouTube. Eminem set the tone for Chrysler in “Imported From Detroit.” It currently has 3.72 million hits on YouTube. Volkswagen…

If there is one thing that Android really needs to have happen, it is that advertising needs to remain positive on the platform. This it true for two reasons: it gives developers incentive to develop for the platform and it provides developers income, from which they might not be getting from application purchases. But the recent news could be disheartening for those who are looking to jump in and develop free, ad-supported applications for Android. The news is that ad impression growth has slowed on Android. Even more interesting is that it is rated to be roughly the same as iOS, with both platforms…

Augmented Reality has been gaining popularity with the growth of smart phones throughout the world, and it appears that Coke Zero and Sausalitos, a german magazine, are willing to take advantage. They have, with the help of Junaio, an AR browser for Android and iPhone, created an intriguing way to create advertising for the 21st century. This is an interesting move when considering how downright depressing things have been for the print industry; age-old publications are dropping like flies on what seems to be a daily basis. What they need are new ways to generate interest from users and advertisers….

3D is absolutely bloody everywhere now. Everywhere you turn, stuff’s popping out of every surface at you – most of it in an attempt to get you to buy a television. Well, guess what, Every Surface: I already own a 27-inch CRT television from 1995, and I am pleased as down-forward-punch by its traditional bi-dimensional performance. Can’t a more useful message be sent with 3D? Apparently, it can. Canadian safety awareness group Preventable have taken a page from that guy what does them neato chalk drawings, and come up with a campaign that explores the third dimension in an ingeniously low-tech way….

Microsoft is bold. In this new ad for Windows Phone 7, a simple promise is made: ‘The revolution is coming’. I don’t want to knock Microsoft. I love Microsoft (…most of the time). Sure, they’re kinda boring and suit-y, but they more often than not make great products, and Windows Phone 7 is shaping up to be one of them, from what I’ve seen. That UI absolutely kills me in the best way. Gorgeously unique. Of course, that alone will not an iPhone-killing OS make (despite certainly helping – pay attention, RIM), so we’ll have to just sit tight and see where this goes. You’d better watch out, Microsoft. Might…

It would appear that the rift between Apple and Adobe has become so great, that Apple’s ad artists are losing Touch with Photoshop itself. Head on over to Apple’s iPod Touch page, and tell me if you notice anything outstanding. Anything at all. Notice something? Yeah? How about this? Or this? iPod Touch can send messages – and better still, make phone calls? Gracious! Well, don’t throw your iPhone in the trash just yet – this is clearly a Photoshop flub on Apple’s part, and quite frankly, I expect the images to have been retooled by the end of the day. It’s just always fascinating to see one of the largest…

Dell is so cute. Remember that totally handy OS guide they posted about how to choose between Windows and Ubuntu? This is the same kind of cute. In a bid to compete with Apple, Dell is amidst an ‘Apples to Apples’ campaign which sees its Studio line go head to head with none other than the MacBook Pro. Both are powered by the Intel Core I7, and Dell’s 15″ model is $950 bucks, compared to the Macbook Pro 15-inch’s $2199 tag. Seems like a steal for comparable power. But Dell’s not being entirely honest, not only conveniently omitting the fact that Dell’s I7 is a 1.73GHz chip (next to Apple’s 2.66GHz), but also…

As if Google didn’t know enough about you (and serve up ads accordingly), Google AdWords is now offering a feature that allows advertisers to beam location-based ads right to your smartphone. Advertisers can now select a “location extension” that will display based on a user’s GPS coordinates. The user can then get directions, contact information, etc – all at a local level. For some reason, I just imagine, like, local furniture ads. Wouldn’t that be fun on a smartphone. Seriously. Apparently, by this Christmas, Google will also be targeting ads based on users’ hair colour, shoe size, favourite…

Behold the tale of two inseparable interspecies buddies, a monkey and dog (only Japan, right?), whose friendship is torn asunder by a big move, and subsequently mended by the magic* of Toshiba products. I swear this isn’t a plug for Toshiba – I honestly just really enjoy anything with a monkey in it. And the shot of the car driving away with the dog house on it made me choke. With laughter or tears, you ask? That is for me to know, and I will take the secret to my grave. *”Magic” (c) copyright 2009-2010 Apple Inc. [Via Trendhunter]…

California must really be strapped for cash. In a move to generate some revenue, the state is considering a bill to allow electronic advertisements to be placed on vehicle license plates. Before your ass gets too puckered, I hear you – what about driver safety, right? Apparently, the ads will only play if a vehicle idles for more than four seconds, or is stopped entirely. The plate number would be visible perpetually in one form or another. That’s… slightly better, I guess. “The idea is not to turn a motorist’s vehicle into a mobile billboard,” said Senator Curren Price, the guy behind the idea,…