-While we’re on the tip, Santa Monica-based media agency Mercury Media has appointed former REVShare exec Michael Montgomery to serve as its VP of business development.

-Above, you can watch a little sizzle reel from Hollywood, CA-based prodco Troika, which is touting its rebranding of a French-Canadian network dubbed “V.” link

-Speaking of L.A. production companies, Caviar, which recently gave us this uplifting Derrick Rose comeback spot for Adidas, has signed on to co-produce Lars Von Trier‘s next flick, Nymphomaniac.

-Here’s our last Spikes Asia-related note of the week. The festival has picked P&G Asia as its Advertiser of the Year. link

-Apparently, Apple’s win over Samsung has resulted in a dump of the latter’s smartphones. link

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Though they struggled through injury during most of the 2011-12 NBA season, the Chicago Bulls had a very positive outlook at the beginning of the post-season in late April. After all, the team’s star and best player, Derrick Rose, had just returned to the team after a series of afflictions had kept him sidelined for a good chunk of the year. Rose was looking in prime condition, and the Bulls had the NBA Championship in their sights.

But, we all know what happened next. With the Bulls comfortably ahead of the 76ers in the waning minutes of their first playoff game, Rose went down with a season-ending ACL tear. Some blamed Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau for leaving his star in the game too long. Some blamed Rose himself for taking too many risks while still recovering from injury. Some, like Nike designer Jason Petrie, famously blamed Rose’s choice of shoe sponsor for the injury. (#shouldasignedwithNike) In any case, as the following photo shows, it was very, very sad.

But, Adidas is getting everyone’s hopes with a new spot from (we think) from 180 LA Caviar and director (not to mention 180LA alum) Amir Farhang. “The Return of Derrick Rose” helps confirm what some are reporting: D-Rose’s rehabilitation is ahead of schedule. With Chicago’s “bench mob” broken up by trades, we’ll need Derrick Rose for as much as possible if we hope to make it to the playoffs. Without him, there’s basically no chance in hell for this team. It’s the truth, and hopefully, Adidas is being honest with us as well.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, #thereturn is currently blowing up on the Twitterz. Production credits after the jump.

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China: A distant land where Derrick Rose can still walk and Dwight Howard plays with a smile on his face.

In a new Adidas spot for the Chinese market, TWBA Shanghai and production company Six Toes Shanghai release dolls of the Bulls and Magic basketball stars from behind a storefront window, allowing the pint-sized ballers to do b-ball battle against an awfully frightening looking dog. Supported by jaw-dropping animation from Pixomondo Studios, where 12 different artists added 2D, 3D, and cell animation, the spot publicizes a current promotional deal in China, which offers customers with a free figurine of NBA players with select purchases.

If you notice, this spot looks fairly reminiscent of Nike’s Li’l Penny campaign from the 90s (which is among my favorites of all time) but it’s probably not a coincidence. After all, those Li’l Penny spots made Anfernee Hardaway‘s Nike basketball kicks the second best-selling signature line in history, behind only Michael Jordan‘s. What I’m trying to say is, bring Li’l Penny back to the States! That, or someone from China needs to send me a Derrick Rose action figure right away.

Visit the campaign’s website here and view credits after the jump.

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-Former Apple design director and Method co-founder Mike Abbink has returned to Wolff Olins to serve as creative director in its New York office.

-Nike is none too pleased with Reebok already selling Tim Tebow Jets jerseys. link

-Meanwhile, Houston Texans running back Arian Foster has joined the likes of Tom Brady and Cam Newton as pro athlete endorsers for Under Armour. link

-What do Katy Perry, Derrick Rose and Lionel Messi all have in common? Well, they’re still “all in” for Adidas (above).

-R/GA has teamed up with flavoring/dining brand Lawry’s to let moms “dinnertise” to their kids. link

-JetBlue insists its brand is merely “tarnished, not destroyed” following the mental collapse of one of its captains this week. link

-St. Louis-based shop Boxing Clever promoted Jim Harper to partner.

-PA-based digital creative boutique Neo-Pangea helps NatGeo herald the Titanic disaster’s 100th anniversary with a site and gaming experience. link

-If you dig this 5.9 second clip that’s part of a contest from BMW USA, feel free to “Like” on Facebook of give it a “thumbs up” on YouTube. link; link

-Just For Men is serving as the first-ever sponsor of the NHL playoff-themed “Beard-a-Thon” program. Seems like an apt choice. link

-The 4A’s teamed up with Arnold to launch a new web-based video platform aimed at young adults called Open Advertising. link

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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.

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Now that he’s shared the spotlight with fellow pro hoopster Dwight Howard, Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose is ready for his own moment in the sun in a campaign from 180LA and Imperial Woodpecker co-founder/director Stacy Wall. Here, Rose is promoting the adiZero Rose 2 line while also pretending that he’s in Pamplona (yes, it was actually shot in Madrid, so there’s your authenticity}. We assume Rose is still peeved about losing to the Heat last year so he gets to show off his skills on the sandiest of courts and even the matadors are shocked and awed. Enjoy.

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What would a week be without another Deutsch creative hire announce? The agency has now brought on more creatives in its Los Angeles office to work on the Volkswagen account (are they building some sort of mothership with the biz?) with the hiring of Erwin Federizo and Eric Helin (l-r) as associate creative directors. The duo has been working together since 2008 while at 180LA and while at said agency, worked on campaigns including the Adidas “Fast Don’t Lie” campaign starring hoopsters Dwight Howard, Derrick Rose and comedian Ken Jeong.

If you’re looking for resume, Federizo and Helin both spent time at Wongdoody, now WDCW of course, but also count stints at RPA and TBWA\Chiat\Day on their resume.

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As we briefly mentioned in the Monday news roundup, Sid Lee has officially launched its new marketing campaign for Adidas, billed as the brand’s “biggest. ever.” Starring a cavalcade of sports and music figures ranging from Chicago Bulls guard (and potential MVP) Derrick Rose to Katy Perry, the TV/print/online effort bears the slogan “all adidas” and looks to be the brand’s way of establishing itself in a world where Nike still reigns supreme. If anyone can help do that, it has to be the singer of “I Kissed a Girl.” The spot above broke today and basically ties in all of the adidas spokespeople.

We’re not sure if this will write the brand’s future, but the anthemic approach doesn’t necessarily hurt (nor does the “Civilization” tune from Justice). And at the least, it shows Sid Lee can come up with something more ambitious than Star Wars tie-ins (not that there’s anything wrong with that).  We know you’re totally stoked to see some A-roll Perry footage from the effort, so check it out as well as credits after the jump. You can view much more content at the Adidas YouTube channel.

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It’s hard to believe that it’s almost been eight months since LeBron James participated in one of the most tasteless media stunts in professional sports history. It still feels like yesterday when almost anyone outside of Miami would tell you that they were no longer a fan of James and would spend the 2010-11 NBA season rooting against the Heat.

Outside of Cleveland and New York, the team that felt the most snubbed by James’ decision was the Chicago Bulls. Most NBA analysts believed that Chicago would be the wisest decision James could make, and the team was stacked with the kind young talent that could hang banners in the United Center next to Michael Jordan’s squads of the 90s. So now, with the NBA playoff run turning into full gear after the All-Star break, Derrick Rose has led the Bulls to third place in the Eastern Conference, right behind the Heat. So, Chicago is going to start upping this rivalry with Miami, and Windy City-based Allstate, with the help of its agency Leo Burnett, has been calling out James–who’s endorsed rival State Farm, of course–for his silly decision.

As actor Dennis Haysbert says, Allstate is “from Chicagoland, for Chicagoland” as the company is offering lower rates to Chicago drivers. Basically, a car insurance company has more integrity than LeBron James, and Allstate isn’t afraid to say it.

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My, how the 180 LA’s “Fast Don’t Lie” campaign for Adidas has grown since the days when we were just getting acquainted to Slim Chin, his Benjamin pile and his pet cheetah.

This time around, Adidas is losing the Ken Jeong cameo and turning to the folks at Stardust to create animated shorts of the campaign’s protagonists, Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard and Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose. The two new spots, directed by Stardust’s Jake Banks and inspired by techniques used on A-Ha’s breakthrough music video for “Take on Me,” find the two NBA All-Stars immersed in a mix of cell animation and live-action footage.

With the way Rose and Howard have been playing this season, both leading their teams into playoff contention with currently the 3rd and 4th respectively ranked clubs in the Eastern Conference, it’s clear Adidas made the right call when deciding which young athletes it would sign to its roster. And, considering Howard’s big personality on and off the court and Rose’s potential to take the Bulls back to their former glory, these two twenty-somethings have the star power to keep the brand’s basketball line competitive for years to come.

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-EgyptAir chose New York-based firm Global Advertising Strategies as its AOR.

-iPad version 2.0 is expected to be released in April. link

-Sir Martin Sorrell talks Taxi. link

-Dominos’ recipe revamp has helped the pizza chain rebound. link

-Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose does the funny in ESPN’s latest RV ad to promote its NBA coverage. link

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A few weeks ago, Adidas and 180LA turned heads with a decidedly strange music video for “Fast Don’t Lie,” the anthem for its new basketball campaign. Featuring NBA stars Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard along with comedian Ken Jeong moonlighting as nutty rich tycoon “Slim Chin,” we had a feeling we weren’t seeing the last of the trio (or Jeong’s pet cheetah).

As it turns out, Adidas and has an entire YouTube channel dedicated to the misadventures of Slim Chin and his lightning-fast, musically inclined athletic friends. Along with the videos, there’s an interactive portion (co-created with 180 Amsterdam) where fans can step into Derrick Rose’s Adidas kicks to drive to the hoop on Slim Chin’s own lavish court, performing aerial dunking maneuvers from an interactive, first-person perspective.

180LA copywriter Eric Helin says the campaign uses Jeong’s popularity to “grab basketball crazed kids attention.” While stars like Rose and Howard can probably do that on their own, watching Ken Jeong ride a jet-ski around his massive pool is pretty hard for anyone to ignore.

Full credits for the spots after the jump.

More: “Adidas Uses NBA Talent for Bizarre ‘Fast Don’t Lie’ Slow Jam”

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Andre Iguodala, Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose, Josh Smith and Russell Westbrook are back in this new spot for NBA 2K11 from 72andSunny, Robot Films and director Chris Robinson (yeah, we’re hyped for the NBA season to start, so sue us). Since our last encounter with these pro ballers, they’ve moved on from idolizing Michael Jordan but are still fixated on the Chicago Bulls of old.

The first spot was funny and the athletes did a great job with their acting skills as they also did in this spot so why not keep it going?

More: Halo: Reach vs. Halo 3: Does It Measure Up?

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