On Monday night, Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul hit a 15-foot bank shot as time expired to put his team up 2-0 over the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the NBA playoffs. You should have seen it—it was really cool.

You know what’s even cooler? The fact that Chris Paul finally met his long-lost brother who we learned existed during the holiday season. Finally, State Farm and agency Translation’s sick little experiment, which included separating twins at a young age and documenting their lives for over two decades in the name of insurance, is coming to an end. Finally, Chris Paul can be at peace. And, finally, Cliff Paul has enough money to quit his job at State Farm once an for all, pursuing a new career of professional moocher.

However, having established a reputation for inhumane cruelty, don’t count out the possibility that Translation isn’t done toiling in the lives of the brothers Paul. Sure, they may have reunited the twins, but that doesn’t mean that before the NBA Finals, Cliff is “accidentally” run over by an uninsured driver. I’m just saying, if Blake Griffin shows up to Cliff’s funeral wearing an argyle sweater in a few months, don’t be surprised. Credits after the jump.

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From Translation comes the second installment of the Chris Paul/Cliff Paul State Farm saga, which will make its TV debut tomorrow night.

If you recall, Episode I (the entire premise of which rested on a pun about the word “assist”) premiered during the NBA’s Christmas Day games. This obviously isn’t the first time we’ve seen a professional athlete star in State Farm campaigns, but what Translation realizes that DDB Chicago doesn’t is that having a professional athlete actually attempt to deliver lines and, well, “act” isn’t the best idea. I’m a Packers fan through and through, which is why it made me so unbelievably uncomfortable to watch Aaron Rodgers totally bomb during those “Discount Double-Check” ads. Seriously, the dude was out-acted by a bunch of preschoolers.

Unless you have Blake Griffin or Peyton Manning at your disposal, just dress up your professional athlete in funny clothes, offer 3-5 variations of the site gag, and don’t ever give them lines. Hey look, it’s Chris, er, Cliff Paul wearing funny glasses and a dapper suit and an argyle sweater. Haha, so silly. See how easy that was? Now I want to watch more. Credits after the jump.

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L.A. Clippers All-Star point guard Chris Paul got plenty of airtime yesterday beyond his team’s beatdown of the Denver Nuggets.Thanks to this latest effort for State Farm, which this time comes to us from Translation and director Craig Gillespie (the guy who helmed Lars and the Real Girl and the Fright Night remake), we learn that Paul has an identical twin brother who happened to accidentally get separated from him at birth. Though the pair take two different career paths, with “Cliff Paul” becoming a State Farm rep (of course) their fundamentals remain the same. At the very least, this cute installment for the insurance brand (wait for the twins’ brief reunion at the end) gives poor Aaron Rodgers a breather from more kids’ heckling–at least for now. Credits after the jump. continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

-With creative assignments now shifted to BBDO, DDB and JWT, Johnson & Johnson is now turning its attention to reviewing media duties in markets including North America. link

-Publicis Healthcare Communications Group appointed Adrian Sansone as managing director of its New York/Toronto-based division, Publicis Life Brands Medicus.

-In a new clip for Jordan Brand and the latest CP3 shoe, W+K uses Venice Beach as a backdrop, enlists a million Chris Paul doubles and offers a unique look at the NBA star’s rather amazing trajectory to the hoop (above).

-New York-based Stein + Partners Brand Activation promoted VP of integrated marketing Ted Kohnen to CMO.

-Wendy’s is the latest major brand to undergo a logo makeover, the fast-food chain’s first since 1983. link

-If you missed One Club’s “Where Are All the Black People?” keynote panel discussion during Advertising Week, here you go. link

-And now, a comparison between Alex Bogusky‘s “The Real Bears” effort and Don Draper’s letter from season four of Mad Men. link

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

-Unilver hands a Dove Men+Care “project” to BBH, insists Ogilvy is still in the mix. link

-Chicago/Culver City, CA-based advertising/production collective Foundation Content welcomed Loyalkaspar alum Tamara Bridges Rothschild as senior producer in its Chicago office.

-Publicis Groupe agency Rosetta promoted Mark Eckman, Paul Elliott, Jay Lichtenstein and Alex Mahernia to managing partner.

-Here’s a visual presentation on how to get advertisers to stop tracking your iPhone. link

-According to a new IAB report, internet ad revenue rose to an all-time high of $17 billion in the first-half of 2012. link

-Team One and Lexus promote the 2013 ES by bringing a print ad to life via a new technology created  by the automaker called “Cineprint” (above).

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

-Former MEC managing partner, digital practice lead Adam Shlachter has joined Digitas New York as SVP, media. Shlachter will lead media for Digitas’ AmEx global advertising & brand management team as well as digital video media work for North America.

-While we’re on the Publicis Groupe tip, the VivaKi Nerve Center has appointed Chris Paul as general manager of its media practice, Audience on Demand.

-MRM is moving its Princeton office to Carnegie Center in the heart of the city, effective Monday, Sept. 24.

-Mat Lignel has reunited with his old Draftfcb colleague Mark Modesto at Ryan Partnership as the former has joined the Hyper Marketing agency as president of its Chicago office.

-AKQA alum Mary Mathaisell and Alaina Goetz joined San Francisco design studio Bonfire Labs as head of production and creative director, respectively.

-Taxi passengers’ olfactory senses get put to the test in a new prank for Fresh Step from the folks at Conscious Minds (above).

-It’s a hard-knock life for a DDB marketing executive…well, at least according to The Onion. link

-Red Door Interactive added Jami Rosenthal as senior strategic planner at its San Diego headquarters.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

If you recall, two weeks ago, the NBA announced that it will be selling ad space on players’ jerseys beginning in the 2013-2014 season, which had some immediately crying foul. Anyhow, Matt Dzamba, group account director at L.A. shop Zambezi, has decided to weigh on the Association’s decision. Take it away, sir.

The recent announcement that NBA teams will be able to sell–as early as the ’13-’14 season– sponsored patches on team jerseys worn during games is nothing new in professional sports. But unlike their international brethren, the NBA has a narrow space for sale: a 2×2-inch patch on any jersey’s front left upper corner.

How will this move impact the Association’s stakeholders?

Sports marketing sponsorships are for brands that want to generate a positive association by drafting off an audience’s emotional attachment to a sports entity (team, athlete or league). Fans may not care either way about car insurance, shampoo, or deodorant but they live and die with their teams and favorite players. By purchasing patches on in-game team jerseys, companies will be able to piggyback every game, every highlight, every photo, not to mention team superstars (including their jerseys sold at retail).

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This summer, NBA point guard Chris Paul became the league’s most sought-after player. After commissioner David Stern shockingly blocked a trade to the Lakers, Paul found himself in L.A. nonetheless, now starting for a young Clippers team. All this to say, it was only a matter of time before Paul ended up being bit by the movie bug, directing and starring in the above spot for Sheets Brand Energy Strips.

Paul joins of roster of celebrity endorsers including hoopsters LeBron James and Amar’e Stoudemire, and unintelligible rapper Pitbull. Sheets Brand Energy Strips are a curious product, ingested as one would ingest a tab of acid, and used as a substitute for other performance enhancers like energy drinks or steriods. Right now, Sheets Brand Energy Strips are taking to Facebook, asking users to create their own video ads for a contest judged by LeBron. Apparently, the video above is just Chris Paul doing his part.

So, athletic readers who regularly take part in strenuous activity, how do you “take a sheet?” Maybe you take a sheet in the alley outside of your office before work. Maybe you take a sheet after a big meal. Maybe you even take a sheet before you and your loved one get intimate. Whatever the case, visit Sheets’ Facebook page to tell other teenagers who think this pun is hilarious how it’s done.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

On Christmas Day, the NBA returned after a 5-month lockout put the entire 2011-2012 season in jeopardy. The league’s shortened 66-game season kicked off with some very exciting games on Sunday which included a Chicago Bulls last-second come-from-behind win at the L.A. Lakers, perennial losers the L.A. Clippers looking unstoppable with the addition of point guard Chris Paul, and the Miami Heat avenging last season’s championship series by drowning the Dallas Mavericks. Also, we had Kevin Durant‘s disgusting shoes for some reason.

Of course, advertisers couldn’t be happier that America’s second most-popular professional sports league is back. Aside from media buyers rejoicing that prime time sports will continue well into 2012 after the NFL season comes to a close, creative types are giving a nod to the NBA. Above, NBA commentators Bill Walton, Steve Kerr, Kenny Smith, Spero Dedes and Jon Berry star in a new spot for Google+ from GS+P. The spot is one of three highlighting Google+’s “Hangouts” feature (the other two were created internally by Google Creative Labs), a critically adored but oft-ignored feature of the social network that has lost considerable buzz since its launch five months ago. Aside from the “Big Red-Head” and his buddies doing a very nice job commenting on an backyard game of hoops, the campaign features a spot that uses “Hangouts” to watch the Muppets rock out to David Bowie and Queen’s classic collaboration, “Under Pressure.” Like The Muppets (currently in theaters), it’s well-worth a viewing.

Also, we would be remiss not to give some mention to TNT’s epic opening day promo, “Forever,” which was directed by Sedna Films’ Drew Watkins. The above spot delighted NBA fans across the county (Kiran and I included) by pairing today’s superstars with legends of the game. Above, you’ll see the impossible become a reality, including Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant running out on court together, Brandon Jennings playing alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Michael Jordan fist-bumping Derrick Rose to Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors’ track “Live Forever.” Considering how upset and jaded NBA fans got over the course of the lockout, it’s stunning that TNT of all things was able to remind us why we love this game so much.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.