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Solid state drives (SDDs) are currently on a trajectory to overtake the use of hard disk drives (HDDs) in laptops in the very near future. SDDs, which predominantly rely on NAND-based flash memory, are already coming stock on some laptops like Apple’s MacBook Air. And, as even novice technophiles know, as Apple goes, so goes the world.

Leaps in flash memory technology mean a whole new laptop SSD market, of which Samsung is trying to tap into. The issue, of course, is that computer drives aren’t exactly very “sexy” looking devices. So, Samsung called upon director Sam Bailey and the folks at The Viral Factory to create the “SSD Angels,” a rag-tag group of nerds who travel around Europe and harass people in public.

In this first episode, the SSD Angels prey on the insecurities of Europeans going through relationship problems with their computers. In a refurbished ambulance, the team convinces 42 people to replace their current hard drives with Samsung 830 SSDs. And, wonder upon wonder, computers installed with the new drives go a lot faster. Yes, with SSDs, simple web-browsing and boot-up time seem miraculously quicker than HDDs. But, a word to the wise, if you’re actually running multiple programs simultaneously, stick with HDDs (at least for now).

Create a clear, strategic approach to the way you use Facebook to market your business in our new Facebook Marketing Boot Camp. The online conference and workshop starts April 24. Learn more.

Each week, we’re sent hundreds of pieces of advertisement-y work that falls into the fun-to-watch-video category. There’s not enough time in the day to think up copy for all of them so here’s a round-up of the best ad-related video we’ve seen in the last 7 days. You’re welcome.

6.

NOWNESS.com presents a film by Jacob Sutton that take a typical snowboarding video, turns off the daylight, and replaces it with hundreds of LEDs covering this LED Surfer. Shot on a Red Epic, the result is mesmerizing. This changes snowboarding filmmaking, or at least dents it. Here’s more.

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Jeremy Lin. Yes, he’s awesome. But what’s that mean in terms of the Knicks? Well, according to YouTube trends, Lin’s name is among the top rising search terms globally on YouTube last week. Lin’s success is the Knicks’ success, and that translates to brand value as well. More here.

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Apple’s release of OS X Mountain Lion created a big stir. As usual, their toppling product demo for the service causes the Mac lover’s brain to tickle.

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Who needs commercials when your product, a child’s toy, has been used to make a robotic prosthetic? Yes, it is all about the product.

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Inside Every Good Dog is a Great Dog is Leo Burnett’s ode to real dogs for Purina. Watching this made us realize that the reason dog advertising has so much potential is that even when trained canines are used, there’s a sense that what’s happening is very much real. That subconscious response triggers our gushy-glands, resulting in instant puppy overload.

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The time, Bentley debuted the new Continental by flying it over Munich with a helicopter.

Before you watch the above video, unplug your headphones from your iDevice (you can listen to “Rolling in the Deep” again later) and plug them into your computer. Now, take part in a sensory experiment Sony is calling the “Binaural Sound Experience,” which I assume sounds much better on actual headphones than it does on earbuds.

The Binaural Sound Experience (or the “BSE” as it will be known from here on) matches “3-Dimensional” sounds with the photography of Andrew Scriven, Sony World Photography Award winner. Sony introduces the experience in the above minute-long video, which gives viewers (and listeners) a first-person perspective of a rock-star warmup, ending with taking the stage at London’s famous O2 Academy Brixton.

For those wondering how Sony created the BSE and to see how exactly binaural sound is created, watch the “making of” video after the jump.

We’re not entirely sure if this is a legitimate website hacking or a publicity stunt, but from the looks of it, Amsterdam-based agency Pool Worldwide and film production company LEV Pictures have found themselves on the wrong side of internet vigilante group, Anonymous. The above message appears on the homepage of each of the companies’ websites and includes a link to this video:

According to the site’s page title, two anons that run by “F33LT” and “Cr8wCk3r” are responsible for the hack job. If these names sound familiar, it’s because the pair was reportedly responsible for taking down a Brazilian government website in August (though “Cr8wCk3r” is spelled “Cr3wCk3r” in that case).

If we are correctly deducing Anonymous’ reasoning behind this website hack, a Pool Worldwide and LEV pictures viral video collaboration used Anonymous’ name as part of a marketing stunt. Utilizing borrowed interest to turn a profit? Well, it certainly sounds like a plausible event in the world of advertising. It’s funny, because Google didn’t bat an eye when Pool Worldwide turned Maps into a first-person shooter last December. So, dear readers, if you have any information on whether or not Anonymous really is turning its attention toward the world of advertising, please let us know in the comment section.

Yep, since it’s Valentine’s Day, we’ll provide another round of agency efforts for the “holiday. We’re living in an age now when Facebook valentines are reality, so here’s an effort from Y&R and sister agency VML. So who “like, likes” you the most? Figure it out here.

And while we’re on the social media tip, R/GA is doing its own thing with something called “Valentweet,” where you can use Twitter to reach out to your crush and let the agency for the digital age do the rest.Yes, Office Cupid is here, folks, so if you’re feeling frisky, get caught in the crosshairs.

 

Yep, it’s about time to wind down the work week, and while we do, let’s show you a rather lengthy infographic (full-size version after the jump) from an aptly titled, Seattle-based operation called Killer Infographics. We figured we’d give you the cliff notes version at the top of the page, but the full visual display details top 10 slogans, ad situations and a little bit of data analysis. Our only issue is that none of the top 10 ad campaigns dates past the ’80s. Were things really that bad for the last 20+ years?

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Credit Stephen Colbert for bringing the term “Super PAC”  to the public’s attention during this election season. If you aren’t a regular viewer of the Colbert Report, see the work paid for by the Super PAC known as Americans for a Better Tomorrow Tomorrow by watching this political ad for Herman Cain, a man who’s such a Washington outsider that “he’s not even running for president.”

Of course, in reality (aka not the South Carolina Primary), big name Super PACs like the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) are in the midst of gussying themselves up for this election. As the AFL-CIO’s main focus is on workers’ rights, its new “Work Connects Us All” campaign from SS+K seeks to reach out to those in a variety industries where AFL-CIO’s work may not be readily apparent. For the slick new site, SS+K partnered with production co. B-Reel to make the project come to life, who’s NYC Executive Producer Max Ahlborn speaks favorably of AFL-CIO’s mission.

He says in a statement, “In Sweden, where I am from, unions have traditionally played a very prominent role building the society from ground up and are currently facing a lot of the same issues as unions of the 2000’s do in the US. They all are in need of changing the public perception of them from being just against policy to being for an equal, just, modern and progressive society. By adding some positivity and forward-thinking, this website is a strong step forward.”

Visit WorkConnectsUsAll.org, compare it to AFL-CIO’s current site for a laugh, and view credits after the jump.

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From EVB and production company Eight VFX comes a new campaign launching “Absolut Miami,” a limited edition vodka inspired by “the city where the heat is on all night on the beach ’til the break of dawn” that follows the brand’s other previously launched location-based lines including Brooklyn.

As home to the world’s most annoying professional basketball team and, according to the parties involved, “glamour, cabanas, hot days, vice and endless nights,” Absolut’s use of Miami as its muse should come as no surprise to those who enjoy fruity-tasting vodka. In addition to an outdoor takeover of buses, billboards, and the like in the city of the liquor’s namesake, EVB and Eight VFX are adding an interactive supplement to the above music video for “From Dusk Till Dawn.”

Those looking to add speed, flair and energy to their virtual night in South Beach can do so at AbsolutMiamiNight.com or just watch the intro credits to Miami Vice here.

Each week, we’re sent hundreds of pieces of advertisement-y work that falls into the fun-to-watch-video category. There’s not enough time in the day to think up copy for all of them so here’s a round-up of the best ad-related video we’ve seen in the last 7 days. You’re welcome.

7. Irritable Bowl Syndrome is a rant by comedian Bill Maher that someone turned into a video infographic thing.

6. Dating Rules From My Future Self is longer-form branded content that doesn’t suck at all.

5. There’s a badass Panda out there who will be serving up his own brand of post-Apocalyptic survival justice in a theater near you.

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Well, it happened, everybody. The “Shit (this kind of person) Says” meme has found its way into an actual viral marketing campaign. Funny, because I always assumed the whole #Occupy hashtag thing would creep into the commercial real estate industry before this happened. A comforting thought: If this steadily growing meme wasn’t quite played out already, then maybe the commercialization of it will be the nail in the viral coffin. Of course, try telling that to the thousands of people around the country busy filming their own videos right now, titled anything from “Shit Dental Assistants Say” to “Shit Koalas Say.” (Admittedly, I did get a kick out of watching “Shit Chicagoans Say” this morning.)

“Shit Politicians Say” comes from LBi for Americans Elect 2012, an organization seeking to put a third, nonpartisan candidate on the presidential ballot in every state. To do this, Americans Elect is asking voters to cast their ballots for a nonpartisan nominee, using its website as a guide to politician’s and business professionals’ stances on controversial issues. Currently, Ron Paul leads all other candidates as the person with the “most tracked” delegate on the issues, which give his popularity with a niche group of Republican voters isn’t too surprising.

To determine if Americans Elect sounds like a reasonable (read: sane) organization, read this New York Times op-ed on the “radical center.” Credits after the jump.

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