We spend the weeks before the Super Bowl watching loops of highlights and anticipating how popular brands will use their four-million-dollar ad slots, but rarely do we do both at the same time. However, this year is special. After we’ve trampled on all obvious storylines—the retirement of Ray Lewis, Harbaugh genetics, Kaepernicking, etc.—the real clue to Super Bowl XLVII may come down to a pair of Visa commercials from five months ago.

Visa launched their NFL Fan Offers campaign in the fall, giving football fiends the chance to win prizes like Super Bowl tickets or a hangout session with John Madden. To promote the program, Visa ran two significant commercials: one for the Baltimore Ravens, and one for the San Francisco 49ers. With respect to DVR, you may be vaguely aware of NFL Fan Offers, because FOX and CBS ran the commercials so many times each Sunday that I was almost ready to petition for the “Can You Hear Me Now?” guy to come back in their place.

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W+K’s ongoing work for Old Spice demanded one hell of a refresh and the agency thankfully obliges with this rather promising effort for the P&G brand, which stars beloved former NBA center, Dikembe Mutombo. Though long since retired, the man who could talk so much shit with just a wag of his finger is still very much involved in humanitarian causes, so who better to help avert the imminent apocalypse promised by the Mayan calendar than old #55.

Yes, this is the basis of a real-time, online 8-bit gaming experience from W+K for Old Spice dubbed “4 1/2 Weeks to Save the World,” which will have our hero embark on weekly globe-trotting missions based on current event and help prolong our lives on this planet. So far, from visiting the game play site alone, we gather that this week, Mutombo must stop Gangnam Style and encourage people to vote–might be a little late on that one–but hell, we’re 100 percent behind this mission. Along the way, we’ve met a Cosby sweater-adorning, intelligent talking bear and other odd characters all while trying to figure how the hell get out of level 1. We must say, though, that regardless of how odd and chaotic this whole campaign is, we’re quite enamored with it thus far and will take it over some of the recent Greg Jennings work any day. Give it a shot here. Credits after the jump.

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It’s only two days until the 2011 NFL regular season kicks off, with the opener pitting the 2009 Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints (Who Dat?) against the 2010 Super Bowl champs, the Green Bay Packers (TITLE BELT). Odds are, many of you took advantage of the long holiday weekend to join the estimated 19 million people who take part every year in Fantasy Football, where obsessive nerdiness and professional sports combine to anger neglected spouses across the country.

Also celebrating another year of tossing around the ol’ digital pigskin is a self-defined “ad agency you’ve never heard of,” Indianapolis-based shop Young & Laramore (you know, the folks behind recent Stanley Steemer work). In an attempt to lure top-tier clients to its agency, Y&L is launching the “Fantasy Client Fantasy Football League,” a league comprised of eight large “fantasy” brands who will be competing for a grand prize of $50,000 in free work from the agency. Of course, there’s a significant drop-off between prizes for first place and second place, but we guess it will add to the spirit of competition, right?

So far, Young & Laramore has brands Skullcandy and Late July signed up according to Ad Age, and the publication points out that although this is the “Second Annual” Fantasy Client Fantasy Football League, there actually wasn’t a first competition last year. Will the contest actually land Y&L paid business from the grand prize winner or other participants down the road? I guess we’ll find out at the end of the season. Until then, get excited for Thursday night (when I have Greg Jennings, A.J. Hawk and Marques Colston all playing).

Update: We’ve received word from Young & Laramore that Jeni’s ice cream, ArborWear and Evol have joined the league. Game on.

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