Will 2011 be remembered as the “Year of the Great Video Game Spot?” When it debuted last month, it really didn’t look like Deutsch LA’s “Michael” ad for PlayStation 3 would have any challengers for the most memorable spot of the year. That is, of course, until XBOX and agency twofifteenmccann released the above jaw-dropping commercial, “The Kinect Effect.”

As the VO says, XBOX thought turning voice and movement into “magic” via Kinect technology “would be fun. And it was.” Hey, if you’ve ever had the opportunity to play one of XBOX’s sports titles for Kinect, there’s little argument you can make against this statement. But, then we see the same technology used for spiking a virtual volleyball in your opponents’ face used for education, surgery, and disposing of hazardous waste. Add to that a great orchestral cover of the Pixies’ “Where is My Mind?” (probably best known to many as the song that plays during the end of Fight Club), and at the end of the spots’ 77-second run time, all a viewer can muster in response is an awestruck is, to quote lauded thespian Joey Lawrence, “Whoa.”

XBOX portrays Kinect as an idea that can affect a target demo who isn’t clamoring for the next Halo installment. It’s quite a bold statement, and one that we don’t see competitors Sony and Nintendo making with their own gaming platforms. Calling it “visionary” is an understatement, as in “The Kinect Effect,” we see video games change the world. Credits after the jump.

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Hey, if hip-hop stars and NFL athletes can dig the Chrysler 300, why can’t fashion designers? Well, at least John Varvatos seems to. Just like the car itself, the current New York resident is also “imported from Detroit” and his rock-influenced style is reflected in this latest spot from W+K Portland (hey, the man is buying an Iggy & the Stooges record and his boutique took over CBGBs if you’re looking for credentials).

Guess that now that the love letter to the blue-collar world of Detroit has been sent with the Slim Shady Super Bowl (and BrandBowl-winning) ad, W+K is just content to let celebs take the wheel and set this campaign in cruise control. But, at least we give props to the agency for enlisting one of our fave directors, Mark Romanek, to helm this spot. Credits after the jump.

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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

With a little help from the Godfather of Soul James Brown and a handful of athletes including Kevin Durant and Serena Williams, TBWA\Chiat\Day LA continues to push the philosophy and product line of Gatorade’s “G.” The agency once again resorts to the three-phase motif of “The Before, The During, The After” and shows that within the sugary energy drink spokesperson lies the heart of a badass. Camp G tells us that this latest campaign “metaphorically examines the story inside the athletes.” Whatever the case, at least they’ve made some strides since 2009. Credits after the jump…

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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.