Men with comb overs look hapless. Little boys with comb overs look creepy. To see the difference, please watch the latest Jell-O television spot, appropriately titled “Comb Over.”

In the forty-five-second ad built by CP+B, a balding father whose depressing life resembles a deflated balloon schools his son on the importance of the little things, like a cup of Jell-O pudding. In turn, we see some surreal daydream where the son, still about six years old, goes through a day in the father’s life, only now he has a giant cone head and a comb over. If you ever wanted to know what the male offspring of Lord Voldemort and Francis Dolarhyde (Manhunter version, not Red Dragon) would look like, here you go. Is that not the definition of creepy, a little boy who somehow resembles two fictional psychopaths all because of a comb over? Still, the commercial’s surrealist twist manages to make it stand out in an otherwise standard concept. It’s almost sweet, if not for the whole hapless/depressing/pitying reaction that comes along with comb overs.

Credits after the jump.

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CP+B originally ran with the idea of a blow-up doll lunch decoy last year, suggesting that people could secure more time at Applebee’s by tricking their bosses. In 2013, the same old bag of tricks comes in the form of a longer ad – 102 seconds – showing various worker bees running out of the office to indulge in some Applebee’s. I’ve never been a fan of the fine dining cuisine at such establishments, but I’m told customers can enjoy hundreds of lunch combos starting at $6.99. If you can get a restaurant combo for that cheap, you may want to think twice.

The spot itself isn’t digging much into new ground. There is one interesting bit, when a black construction worker uses a white lunch decoy. I’m not sure what that is trying to say, if anything at all, but the man’s boss must not pay very good attention to his staff if the lunch decoy can be effective while using a different skin color than the man who is jolting to Applebee’s (Ed. update: CP+B clarifies that it did use the likeness that most resembles of its construction worker as part of the campaign. Go here). Maybe the man’s boss is using his own lunch decoy, at which point the men would run into each other at an Applebee’s and ruin the trick for everyone. Credits after the jump.

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We all remember our awkward first kiss stories, full of nervousness and rapid heartbeats. Based on “First Kiss,” the new 30-second ad in the Taco Bell Live Mas campaign that came through the tips line, we can now add sticky fingers and spicy breath to the list of uncomfortable descriptors.

Mixing Doritos Locos Tacos and kisses may not seem like the best idea, but this spot might strike the right cord for those who value some teenage sentimentality and John Hughes movies. Associating Taco Bell with cuteness is a tough trick to pull off, you know, with the greasy smells and penchant for attracting drunk college guys as a significant customer base, but Deutsch LA and director Zach Math found a way to pull it off. Taco Bell seems to have tapped the right nerve with Doritos Locos Tacos: the product helped create 15,000 new jobs. Maybe the company can use the profits to provide complimentary mouthwash with any purchase, so young lovers who want to make out in Taco Bell parking lots can have pleasant memories.

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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We guess things have come full circle in a sense with CP+B’s “Slicing Up Freshness” campaign for Arby’s, which kicked off with two spots at the beginning of October and now closes out the month with a long-form version of the campaign. This time around, director Larry Charles, the agency and client take a closer into the world of “Slicing” star and former New York detective Bo Dietl, who’s hellbent on exposing that Subway’s meat is anything but freshly sliced–unlike, say, Arby’s.

The significant difference between this mini-doc and the original spot starring Dietl, though, is that there’s no real mention of the plant in Iowa where some of Subway’s meat is sliced. If you recall, just days after the original spot aired, Arby’s faced a backlash from the prideful folks of Mount Pleasant, IA  who felt their town and state were being disparaged–hence, the tweak. We can understand their feelings, but we think it was Subway that took the large portion of the beating here. Credits after the jump.

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If you take the time and money to buy organic milk, you have a low-level fondness for cows. You hope they get to eat grass and see sunlight. Those who go to the farmer’s market and ask, “So, are these happy cows?” have a higher allegiance to the gentle beasts.

In their latest campaign, the California Milk Advisory Board wants dairy consumers to take the next step by inviting cows into their homes. “Make us part of your family,” they moo.

But actually they don’t moo. The cows in this campaign are talking California cows, and in the first TV spot, we’re introduced to a teenage gossip cow whose monologue is filled with words like “supes” and “bt-dubs” (meaning super and by the way, respectively). It’s hard to nail teen-talk without seeming contrived and stale, but this cow does a decent job. I’d have to consult my 14-year-old cousin to be sure, but I think this speech matches many middle-school convos. It should, considering the spot is directed by Fred Savage, Wonder Years star and now director and producer for shows like Hannah Montana and Modern Family.

The spot airs this week, accompanied by a making-of video. Though our commentator straddles the line between sensitive dad-type and creative director-stoner, the incredible mechanics he showcases make up for his dazed tone.

Credits and making-of after the jump.

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Applebee’s is separating themselves from the “good ole American” aesthetic. With their new “See You Tomorrow” campaign created by CP+B, they’re emphasizing fresh food, exciting ingredients, and unexpected taste combinations. That means 1,900 restaurants across America are about to become more interesting.

The first two TV spots directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite) launch today and feature passionate chefs who fawn over ripe tomatoes and refreshingly acidic lemons. The ad narrator cuts them off before they take their speeches too far, switching to a typical fast food ad. It’s the restaurant equivalent of a high speed car chase—food falls onto pans in quick succession, sizzles on a grill, and then finally comes together on a steaming plate. The two halves of these spots come together to mark Applebee’s transition. They’re putting more consideration into quality ingredients, but they’re still serving affordable fast food.

This campaign also includes online, radio, outdoor ads and in-store elements, highlighting the “fresh flavors of summer.”

Credits and second spot after the jump.

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By now, some, most or all of you have heard that Taco Bell is rolling out its Doritos Locos Tacos line (you might have seen this teaser), which will officially be available to appease your guilty-pleasure cravings nationwide come March 8. As part of the rollout of its new menu item, the fast-food chain’s agency partner Draftfcb Orange County unveiled a new spot called “Pockets” that was directed by Jake Scott and debuted during NBA All-Star weekend.

As you’ll see in the latest advert, Taco Bell is undergoing a rebranding of sorts that comes with a new slogan, “Live Mas,” which from the looks of it, will be emblazoned across all the brand’s sauce packets. Now, we’re just curious to find out if there really is a band called Slab Hauler. Credits after the jump.

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From Boulder-based Victors & Spoils comes the motorcycle spot that crowdsourcing can buy. Debuting alongside the season premiere of FX’s hit show Sons of Anarchy last night, the second installment in the “No Cages” campaign for Harley-Davidson depicts a rather harmless looking young man release a bunch of dogs into the wild wilderness of suburbia.

Why would he do this? Maybe he’s on drugs. Maybe he doesn’t understand that pet-store animals spread disease throughout the community until they’re eventually killed off by raccoons. Maybe the dog’s living situation reminds our friendly anti-hero of his own time spent in the slammer. Or, maybe he’s just a dick. Whatever his motivation, it all makes up for a very “cute” spot. But wait, does “cute” traditionally sell motorcycles to rebellious youth or weary men going through midlife crises? Well, when you consider almost 5 million viewers (3.22 million in the 18-49 demographic) tuned into the SOA last night, maybe you’re not selling a counter culture. Maybe you’re just selling pop culture. Credits (not including concept winner Benjamin Swan of Sioux Falls, SD) after the jump.

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Is it just us or does the tagline for Wieden + Kennedy’s next phase of the “Go Forth” campaign for Levi’s remind you of Justin Timberlake‘s cringe-worthy line in The Social Network? Whatever the case, the parties involved are back with a new, anthemic (and very oddly timed) campaign about “building a new and better future” that of course also promotes the Levi’s fall collection.

This time, the words of Charles Bukowski replace Walt Whitman‘s as the poetic narrative and the scene shifts to Berlin in this 60-second short film directed by Ralf Schmerberg. It’s not just about American pride anymore, folks, though the idea and imagery basically appears the same. Below, you can check out the Berlin-based collaboration between W+K Amsterdam and artist Alexandre Farto that officially kicked off the campaign last month. Peep film credits after the jump and check out the Facebook component here.

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