Nearly three months after 72andSunny introduced us to “The Replacer”–aka Fargo baddie Peter Stormare–in its campaign for Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops II – Revolution trailer, the agency has brought back the character, now with sidekick JB Smoove in tow, for its Black Ops II – Uprising promo. Jesus, how many entries are in this franchise? Anyhow, the newly formed dynamic duo embarks on several replacing adventures from serving as weatherman to fixing cable, with Stormare being his usual, somewhat menacing self and Smoove giving us the fast-talking delivery that we first came to know and love in Curb Your Enthusiasm. 

We’re not sure what the budget is here, but as the Black Ops franchise expands, so do seem the timeframe and scope of the clips promoting it. But, if you have the patience for it (it is lunchtime on the East Coast, after all), don’t let us stop you from taking in this slightly entertaining, slightly grating clip. Credits after the jump.

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Hey, look! It’s that dude who was on 30 Rock for a few seasons before they realized his character was totally worthless. This guy. Man, has that dude fallen on hard times or what? Let’s all hope he gets back on his feet before things get worse.

Anyway, the above 90-second spot from 72andSunny takes place in the fictional video game development studio of “Unicorn Apocalypse,” a fake game no doubt inspired by Adult Swim’s online “Robot Unicorn Attacks,” but about zombies because 20-something nerds sure love those. If you think 90-seconds sounds like a long time to watch hipster nerds talk about zombie unicorns and play around with their phones, you’d be right.

I’ve been a little back and forth about Samsung’s recent iPhone-bashing campaign. Perhaps it’s because I think it’s a really great idea, but the execution just misses the mark for some reason. Perhaps that reason, as most blatantly exhibited by the spot above, is because Samsung is targeting pretentious millennials who look down about those with different tastes. It makes sense to label iPhone buyers sheep, but there has to be a more subtle way to do it. Also, here’s a newsflash: pretentious people don’t think they’re pretentious. They just think that they’re right. So, portraying an over the top version of the demo (however accurate), will undoubtedly turn off the very consumer you most want.

As the current top comment on YouTube asks, “Why does Samsung insist on making everyone with their phone act like a 20-something douchebag?” Good question. Credits after the jump.

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Like a less-slick, self-assured version of Harvey Keitel‘s “The Wolf” from Pulp Fiction, actor Peter Stormare, who you might remember from playing Steve Buscemi‘s even sleazier partner-in-crime in Fargo or to a lesser extent, “Slippery Pete” on Seinfeld, stars as “The Replacer” in 72andSunny’s latest lengthy effort for Activision. This time, agency and client team up to promote the latter’s Call of Duty: Black Ops II – Revolution, which will come equipped with new multiplayer apps, a new weapon and even a zombie mode to play undead.

In the two-and-a-half minute clip above, we find that “The Replacer” is actually a way more charitable character than Wolf, lending his services to a variety of gamers, whether a frustrated, domesticated type, an expecting parent, a guy on a blind date, a landscaper or even a zoo cleaner. The intensity of previous Call of Duty clips has supplanted by comedy, and we kinda welcome the change of pace. And plus, we have a soft spot for Stormare, a man who’s played bit/supporting roles in more movies than we can count.  Credits after the jump.

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After the Tiger Woods sex scandal broke, it was a bit surprising that Nike stayed loyal to the face of its golf line. But, by offering 23-year-old phenom Rory McIlroy a 10-year $250 million contract, is it possible that Tiger’s days may be waning? At the very least, Nike Golf is no longer dependent on the success of Woods to carry its brand for the next decade.

A new spot from W+K finds Tiger playing the “old guy,” challenging McIlroy to a chip shot contest reminiscent of McDonald’s classic Michaell Jordan/Larry Bird “Nothing but Net” campaign from the early 90s.  “No Cup is Safe” depicts Tiger as the wily veteran, with Rory as the new, young face of the PGA nipping at Woods’ heels. To be honest, it’s a bit uncomfortable to watch, as I’m sure it was for Tiger to shoot it. The sun may be setting all too soon on Tiger’s career, while Rory’s is just beginning. Perhaps Tiger offered some advice to Rory on set, some advice that no one bothered to give him 14 years ago when he was in the same situation as Rory is now.

It’s hard to see this spot as anything other than a “passing of the old guard,” which is probably what Nike asked for. It’s cute, but full of sadness and hope at the same time. Perhaps I’m making this a bigger deal than it actually is, but, as a fan of both athletes, it’s hard to imagine a world where these guys can coexist at the top of the professional golf ladder. Credits after the jump.

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We almost spit out our coffee this morning when watching this hilarious spot that was sent to us yesterday from W+K Sao Paulo, which is promoting Comedy Central’s Latin American invasion. Directed by Hungry Man’s Bryan Buckley, this two-minute clip offers some self-deprecating humor while introducing us to the World Cup Siesta, which we’re sure ESPN would totally broadcast were it actually real (on the Ocho perhaps?).

In a statement, Buckley says, “I couldn’t bring myself to watch a single Olympic Event. And hell, I was in London when they were happening. That’s how much shooting World Cup Siesta messed with my mind. I kept saying to myself what can possibly be more exciting than that?” Truth be told, we’ll never take our nap time so casually again. Credits after the jump.

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Playstation pitchman Kevin Butler tones down his snarky/silly schtick for a tick in order to honor Veteran’s Day in this latest “Hall of Play” inclusion from Deutsch LA.  Here, Butler honors a gamer (as well as all the men and women in service) who guys by the handle “TheBigIrish1138″ and happens to be stationed with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan. Yes, there is a sensitive side to the smarmy sap, who we presume will get back to his usual gamer-saluting antics shortly. Credits after the jump.

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Deutsch LA launched the next phase of its well-received “Michael” campaign for Playstation that now stars none other than the game console’s brash pitchman, Kevin Butler. After paying homage this week to people with handles like @nychus, @motherboop and @legiondragon, Butler now honors someone named DirktheDaring (above). For the next 15 days (through 11/24), we can expect daily salutes from Butler and if you head over to the Playstation Facebook page, you can get a personalized “To Michael” clip sent to you. Perhaps someone was inspired by a certain, award-winning W+K campaign? Who knows, but gaming geeks, this one’s for you. Credits after the jump.

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Disclaimer: We were given the above spot from Arnold Worldwide on April 1, though were kindly asked to take it down as it was sent to us “in error” (which explains some of the older comments). As it turns out, the McRib was not quite back, as some had falsely speculated, at the time. However, now that the word is out that the McRib has, in fact, been officially resurrected as of today, we offer the TV commercial (which aired last November and was only released to media for “archiving purposes” on sites like our sibilng, AdsoftheWorld, months later) for your viewing pleasure. Party on.

The. McRib. Is. Back. Just when you thought it was gone forever, it returns, just like it does every spring (or fall or summer, depending on Mac Doh’s whims) and will continue to until the world ends or until McDonald’s merges with Subway to take over the world. And, you know what? People are going to talk about the McRib around your office. “Did you hear?” someone will ask, eyes wide with eager anticipation, McDonald’s grease-smelling sweat dripping onto your desk. “The McRib. It’s back dude. Just like the Backstreet Boys.” Indeed, it’s back.

But, before you throw over your work desk and “run” your out-of-shape self over to the nearest McRib feeding facility, we should mention that the McRib’s limited run is set to expire on Nov. 14. That gives you three whole weeks to gorge yourself on this 500-calorie combination of boneless patty, pickle slices, onions and BBQ sauce (aka McSlop), so if you want to make it all 21 days, proceed with caution. Last year’s McRib spot by Arnold Worldwide marked the end of a 16-year “hiatus” of the agency doing McRib work for the esteemed fast-food chain. It remains to be seen if the agency will get to launch America’s favorite sandwich again this time around. Credits after the jump.

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Has it already been a week since CP+B and VitaminWater became more intimate (no AOR)? My, how time flies, but here’s the second advert in the “You’re Up” campaign for the Coke brand called “Frog.” According to the credits, this spot was created under the leadership of ECD Ari Merkin and even involves the services of a “cognitive anthropologist.” Very ambitious, indeed. See full credits after the jump.

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