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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Both fast-food eateries are running “Mrs. Robinson,” a 30-second homage to The Graduate with Heidi Klum doing her best Anne Bancroft. The spot, created once again by 72andSunny (last work for the CKE chain here), promotes the Jim Beam Bourbon Burger. Odds are that Klum doesn’t regularly eat the fine cuisine she endorses, but we won’t hold it against you if you replay the part where she sucks up barbecue sauce from her finger.

Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s have actually turned down the overt sexuality in their ads–remember last year’s Kate Upton commercial? I’ve eaten their burgers once or twice in my life, and I can assure you, they are not aphrodisiacs unless you’re a local gastroenterologist who needs more business. Credits after the jump.

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Hardee’s/Carl’s Jr. seems to be in a constant marketing tug-of-war between using half-naked girls to sell their menu and attempting to move away from sexualizing their products entirely. When David & Goliath won the biz at end of 2010/beginning of 2011, the agency starting producing spots for the fast-food chain that seemingly mocked the company’s usual over-the-top, sex sells approach while, simultaneously, not skimping on the bikini-clad models.

It seemed as though everyone was happy, that is until David & Goliath stopped putting sexy girls in the ads altogether. Rumor has it that this angered higher-ups at Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s parent, CKE, who were all like, “Where are the sexy ladies, dudes?” So, in less than a year, D&G lost the business.  72andSunny, which took over on the CKE account almost immediately, has proven their loyalty to the topless-girl-eats-a-sandwich-in-slow-motion style of execution with their ongoing TV spots. However, the above ad, “No Tomorrow,” seems to again be moving away from sexy people in favor of sexy ingredients.

As someone who tries to avoid fast-food UNLESS we’re talking about breakfast, Hardee’s Pork Chop ‘N’ Gravy Biscuits actually look very mouthwatering in this spot. I understand that Hardee’s advertising usually is a bit more conservative than Carl’s Jr.’s, but I wonder if this is the kind of execution that the latter could benefit from as well. As history has shown, a lack of sexy girls is a risky move for any agency working for these brands in particular. However, I hope this works out for 72andSunny, as they are able to do for Hardee’s what McGarryBowen tried (and failed) to do for Burger King. 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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-For some end of day fun, let’s go behind the scenes of 72andSunny’s epic spot promoting Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 in a clip (above) that features commentary from 72 CEO Glenn Cole, Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg, director Guy Ritchie and those YouTube sensations.

-Samsung’s Facebook ad buy for the Galaxy S III appears to have paid off in spades. link

-James Lima, founder/creative director of L.A.-based prodco/design studio, Shiny New TV, has designed the first-ever (and free) official iPad app for fashion house, Prada. link

- Bicoastal/London-based Park Pictures signed director/designer/photographer Vincent Haycock to its roster for U.S. commercial representation.

-So, how can agencies “hack culture for brand insights?” link

-Oh, snap. W+K intercepted Oreo’s upcoming Super Bowl spot from Draftfcb, though the latter will remain the brand’s AOR. link

-Apple’s map debacle has led to another head rolling. link

-Sorry, Dunkin Donuts, you can’t trademark the phrase, “Best Coffee in America.” link

-London-based digital marketing agency, Metia, appointed Andrew Martin as president and promoted J. Paul Anderson to regional VP of its Seattle operations.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

What better time to talk about violent dystopian survival techniques than when most of the East Coast is about to be plunged underwater? Yes, for all of you who still have access to Internet, it’s probably better you watch this new spot for Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2 from Activision and 72andSunny then read some silly rag like the New York Times, despite the latter’s recent removal of its paywall.

Directed by Guy Ritchie, the same Brit who gave us such modern action movie classics as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, and, uh, Swept Away, this trailer finds us in a post-apocalyptic Times Square defended by Ironman himself, Robert Downey Jr. Known for defeating villains like Loki and drug addiction, Downey and Internet celebs  “iJustine” and “FPSRussia” band together to fight against the zombie uprising.

The spot serves as a continuation of the “There’s a Solider in All of Us” campaign that 72andSunny used during the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. If you’ll recall, that series of spots utilized a cavalcade of celebrities on TV, with appearances from the likes of Jonah Hill, Kobe Bryant and Sam Worthington. As COD:BO 2 approaches its mid-November release date, it’s probably a safe bet to assume we’ll be seeing a lot more of Hollywood with future trailers. Credits after the jump.

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Following the reveal trailer that aired during last night’s NBA playoffs and showed actual game play, Activision has now unveiled the full-length, two-minute documentary for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 which was created by The Ant Farm and 72andSunny. Shot in Washington D.C. and featuring an appearance from none other than good ol’ Ollie North, the online film dramatically details the weapons of the future and looks realistic and grim enough to have us believe we’ll be wandering the desolate road with Viggo Mortensen and his son in the coming years. Check out credits if so inclined after the jump.

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Three months after snagging Call of Duty duties from TBWA\Chiat\Day LA, 72andSunny has rolled out its new work for the Activision franchise, which from the looks of it, doesn’t drift too far from the gonzo, celebrity-driven approach employed by Chiat for Black Ops. But instead of Jimmy Kimmel and Kobe Bryant, this time we have Avatar‘s Sam Worthington and a slimmed-down, unlikely hero in Jonah Hill, who play vet and noob, respectively, as well as Superman himself, Dwight Howard. The spot, directed by Peter Berg and featuring the rather appropriate “Shoot to Thrill” from AC/DC, is just as over-the-top as the game play itself and dominated commercial breaks during yesterday’s NFL coverage. It’s something Michael Bay would surely approve of, but where does 72andSunny’s Call of Duty debut rank when it comes to video game ad of the year? Modern Warfare 3, by the way, hits shelves tomorrow.

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Basically, it comes down to next Monday’s meeting between the NBAPA, the owners and commish David Stern (yes, it seems these meetings are proving to be increasingly useless) to see whether an actual season will happen, so, in the meantime, why don’t you NBA fans and gamers take solace with this spot for NBA2K12 from 72andSunny. Basically, it’s a follow-up to Jordan’s “Kiss my rings, biyatch” spot and asks fans, whether they be celebs like Drake and the dork from Dodgeball or your average joe, to profess what they think is the greatest NBA team ever. What say you, audience? Damn, this impending lockout irks us. Credits after the jump and, thanks to a tipster’s heads up, a Samuel L. Jackson-starring Nike spot that aired during the last NBA lockout in 1998.

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So, by now, we’re sure most of you are aware of the 72andSunny-created Kenny Powers/K-Swiss campaign that’s been lighting up the interwebs. Well, the campaign, which officially launches tonight during the ESPY’s (which K-Swiss is a sponsor of), has proven to be a boon for its writer, Matt Heath, who sources familiar with the matter say will be involved with the writing team on season three of HBO’s Eastbound & Down, which just may be the last one and of course stars Kenny Powers himself, Danny McBride. Nice one and from what we’re hearing, Heath still has a gig at 72andSunny. Check out a few more spots including the now-famous CEO ad along with credits after the jump.

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Just fresh from relinquishing the RIM business, L.A./Amsterdam-based agency 72andSunny has picked up the digital business for Fiat North America. The shop will not only handle digital marketing efforts, but will also maintain the automaker’s website. On the European front, Fiat picked Turin-based Domino as its AOR while Southfield, MI-based Impatto serves as lead AOR for North America. 72andSunny co-founder/CCO Glenn Cole says in a statement, “We need to make a digital ecosystem as inspired as the car. And that’s a very high bar. We’re excited about the challenge.”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.