“Anthem” the latest effort from Atlanta-based 22squared and the Costa Rica Tourism Board, may look like the rough cut of a Coldplay music video. The one-minute spot features shots of sherbet sunsets, beautiful landscapes, and even a frog jumping in slow-motion. The music is actually from M83 (from their Oblivion score), not Coldplay, but the point is that the commercial has the big sounds and simulated importance of something we’re used to seeing in music videos. That’s not a bad thing.

A few of Costa Rica’s recent tourism pitches have tried to capture this splashy substance. Patrick Pierson, who directed “Anthem,” also made the colorfully moody “Get Living.” And two years ago,  there was the Effie-winning Million Dollar Happiness campaign. In the travel ad arms race, Costa Rica is destroying those clumsy Ocean City commercials with the lifeguard who has frosted hair. Slow-motion frogs beat inserts of standard beaches every time. 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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