And so, we move from the undead to dead presidents in DDB’s latest bizarre spot for the NY Lottery, one that suggests winning the “Cash Blast” scratch-off game means an instant beach party with your pals Washington, Lincoln, Hamilton, Jackson, Grant and Franklin. In fact, should you win millions playing the odds at your local convenience store, it probably would be a pretty good idea to hire impersonators of these presidents/forefathers to join you in celebration as you flaunt your cash to the legions of friends you just bought. They say “money can’t buy happiness,” but “they” are a bunch of jealous poor people who haven’t had Abraham Lincoln throw up on a techno DJ at one of their soirees.

Any guesses as to what Ulysses S. Grant is smoking when he walks by camera? If you invite an Alexander Hamilton impersonator to your shindig, are you duty-bound to also invite an Aaron Burr impersonator to see if things heat up? More importantly, will giggling at a lottery spot about a pretty generic scratch-off game make you want to play it? Credits after the jump.

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That dirty hippie known as Dragee returns in Martin Agency’s latest digital short for Mentos, which follows up the blood-spattered effort from February. This time, the character, who’s living in perpetual zen mode even though he’s always a glutton for punishment, attempts to cross a busy street in Cape Town, South Africa after swallowing some of those minty pills. With positivity in mind and straight man Rick once again by his side, Dragee barely makes it a few steps before fate and a host of vehicles intervene, turning our protagonist into a jaywalking rag doll.

In Dragee’s mind,  it seems nothing is impossible, though unlike Boston Celtics star Kevin Garnett, the former’s never made it to the promised land in this social media-driven campaign, which once again leads to the Mentos Facebook page. Credits after the jump.

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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

After being named U.S. social media AOR for Mentos in January, The Martin Agency has debuted a new social/digital campaign for the freshmaker.

Named after the word for a single Mentos candy or gum, Dragee (drä zhēˈ), the star in this spot (fueled with the spirit of optimism), maintains a fresh take on life even after a sword courses through his body, spewing blood everywhere while attempting to avoid a swordsman’s blade blindfolded. Though unsuccessful, he remains ever positive, ever committed to his charge, especially in front of his protege, Rick.

Keith Cartwright, SVP/group creative director at The Martin Agency says in a statement, “When Mentos approached us, we jumped at the opportunity to create a comprehensive social/digital U.S.-based campaign for a global brand. The chance to build this campaign solely on Facebook offered creative challenges and opportunities. In the end, we’re incredibly proud of the work and what we were able to accomplish in this space.”

Should the brand have just stuck to relying on its “fresh maker” tag instead? You can be the judge of that. Credits after the jump…

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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Kids: is there anything more annoying? Always asking their stupid questions and making those terrible shrieking sounds, isn’t it about time that they can just watch SpongeBob SquarePants 24/7 and never bother you for anything again? Enter Verizon’s FiOS network and this spot from McCann NY. With one network, your kids can shut up for hours whether they’re watching TV, your laptop, or you cell phone.

Okay, so you might not leave your kids alone with your laptop or your cellphone all of time time for fear that they might break or lick your electronic devices. But, Verizon’s FiOS does run on a fiber-optic network, making it the first integrated network geared towards home use to do so. More importantly, when has Comcast’s ads featured something as cool as a house that transforms into a doctor’s office that transforms into a car in seemingly one take?

While it’s not available everywhere, FiOS has steadily climbed to over three-million television and internet subscribers nationwide. This sleek campaign tells us that Verizon wants to make a big push with its network this holiday season, continuing to expand its coverage and targeting new demographics. We should also note that this ad is much more entertaining than having to sit through an entire Transformers movie, Megan Fox‘s presence notwithstanding.

Credits and another spot after the jump.
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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.