Though one of the most consistently hilarious campaigns in the history of television advertising, it’s been a while since we’ve seen a “This is SportsCenter” spot really knock it out of the park. That is, until today.

ESPN and W+K NY fulfill the fantasies and daydreams of fans nationwide with this spot, in which mild-mannered, buttoned-up NFL analyst John Clayton finally shows his true colors, or at least the colors that we’ve all been hoping he’s been secretly hiding. Yes, Clayton’s mythical ponytail makes an appearance. Yes, Clayton is secretly the world’s biggest Slayer fan. And yes, he still lives with his mom.

I don’t know what else to say about this, other than bravo ESPN, bravo W+K, and take a bow, John Clayton. Not that we needed any help getting revved up for the NFL season, but damn, who’s ready for some football? 

(h/t Deadspin)

Update: The spot will make its TV debut, aptly enough, on Sept. 10 during ESPN’s Monday Night Football double-header.  Credits after the jump.

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From Goodby and prodco O Positive comes new television campaign “Homecoming” for Comcast’s Triple-Play cable TV, Internet, and telephone service, Xfinity.

If you live in a region where Comcast is the only cable service option available (as I do), you no doubt have gotten into three or four yelling matches with their “customer service representatives” when your service inexplicably goes haywire or completely disappears for weeks on end. If you’ll recall, Comcast made the Final Four in Consumerist‘s “Worst Company in America” tournament last year (after winning in 2010), only being knocked out of contention by evil ocean-ruiner, BP. This was, mind you, after Comcast was caught begging its employees to vote for competitor Charter Communications in the tournament.

It’s no wonder many Comcast subscribers turn to alternative services after their struggles lead to bouts of crippling depression. Some, like the woman in the above spot, turn to Verizon’s fiber optic network, FiOS. But, Comcast doesn’t mind, as they know you’ll come crawling back sooner or later. (They always do, don’t they?) So, when your foolish hubris spins wildly out of control, remember that Comcast knew you were stupid all along. That random increase on your monthly bill is actually punishment for feeling entitled. Credits, and one more spot that features crying and hugging, follow after the jump.

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If you happened to catch any NFL games since the season kicked off on Thursday night, you probably saw any one of three or four FedEx ads that’s part of a new brand campaign from BBDO NY, which aims to emphasize its client’s “customer solutions including healthcare, automotive, small business and sustainability.” The spot called “Hollywood” (above), which boasts FedEx’s ability to, yes, deliver bovine heart tissue in time for surgery, seemed to get the most airplay from our point-of-view. But maybe it was the one below or either of the two after the jump that deserved more rotation–though none of this year’s FedEx spots really elicited a chuckle or two like last year’s “Exchange Student” effort that also launched during the NFL’s opening week. Check out two more from the 2011 campaign (wait, is that Bodie from The Wire as the FedEx guy in the spot called “Two-Sided”?) as well as credits for the various spots after the jump.

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Remember those huge cellphones? There was one point (maybe after watching Zoolander or something) that I thought phones would just keep getting smaller and smaller. Then I got an HTC Evo for Christmas, and wow, that thing is giant. I usually gain an audience when I’m texting people or playing games while riding on public transportation.

The nice things about this spot from Huntington Beach-based, in-house agency Innocean and production company O Positive is that it only runs for 30 seconds. While it’s a cool idea to juxtapose the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid with technologies of the past, this ad could have really gone overboard to the point that it would be easy to forget that’s it for a car. Mad props to director Jim Jenkins, though, for creating a quirky, anachronistic city that’s as unusual as it is charming.

Also, it sort of makes you wonder, how hilarious would it be if Michael Bay directed a silent film? Credits after the jump.

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These days, appearing in a “This is SportsCenter” spot is an essential part of a bona fide U.S. sports star’s budding career. At only 25 years old, Moscow-born Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin already has two league MVP titles as well as five NHL All-Star Team appearances in five years with the league. To say that Alex Ovechkin is the single biggest player in professional hockey is an understatement, and though he may not yet have a Stanley Cup title to add to his career statistics, he can bet that this spot will be broadcast during nearly every commercial break whenever the NHL is so much as mentioned in passing on ESPN.

This spot is also ESPN’s way of saying, “Though it seems that we know nothing outside of the realm of sports, we do actually pay attention to the news and know something about sexy Russian spies being a ‘thing’ this past year. This is our tribute to current events.” Add to that a suited SC anchor, and you have the formula for every “This is SportsCenter” spot that W+K has been producing for years. We’ll ask them to stop making these once they stop being funny, but it hasn’t happened yet.

Credits after the jump.

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