Since BBH debuted last year’s Kiefer Sutherland-starring “Susan Glenn,” AXE’s TV spots have consistently been some of the best on TV. Well, maybe not the “best,” but considering how awful they used to be, they’ve come quite a long way. Now, with a new campaign for the AXE Apollo scent, BBH is taking things to a whole other level completely. That level, by the way, is freaking outer space.

The above spot, “Fireman,” teases the AXE Apollo Space Camp, which will allegedly offer 22 daring individuals the opportunity to receive rigorous astronaut training in Florida followed by a chance to go into outer space. Wait, outer space? Holy shit. Could this possible be legitimate in any way? Well, if you don’t believe AXE, do you believe the space camp’s spokesperson?

So, not only is this campaign apparently making history, but it’s giving us two great spots on top of that. For your chance to actually become an astronaut (that’s right, Lance Bass), enter at the AXE Apollo Space Camp website before February 3. Credits after the jump.

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Well, there is no epic warfare or movie tie-ins (thankfully) with this latest Sony Xperia ad from McCann NY, which eschews the bombast in favor of some visual trickery. Why? Well, the agency and brand are now getting down to brass tacks and letting us know what the hell the Xperia tablet actually does. The live-action effort, which was directed this time around by Augustus Punch, shows that, yes, you can indulge your social media addiction, watch movies and engage in game play on this certain device (though doctors recommend, not all at one time). We can safely say it’s not as epic as Sony and McCann’s last tryout, but it is certainly more inviting. Credits for the campaign dubbed “Frames” along with its print assets after the jump.

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McCann NY and director Paul Hunter are behind this :60 spot that promotes Sony’s Xperia ion, which marks the electronics giant’s first attempt at launching a 4G LTE smartphone in the US. The lad above has quite the adventure, albeit a short one, in this ad called  “One Block,” which comes equipped with the obligatory Amazing Spider-Man tie-in as well as some chipper Matt & Kim music and, why not, a raging war scene. Our smartphone-loving protagonist, though, is totally impervious (sound familiar?), weathering it all and finding comfort in the safety of his home, couch and furry friend. Uh, dude, look behind you. Credits after the jump.

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We’ve been hearing from tipsters all afternoon and just received confirmation from McCann that the agency network’s New York and London creative chairman, Linus Karlsson (pictured), has been officially named CCO for global brands. Karlsson was hired by McCann 15 months ago from Mother NY.

According to a statement from McCann, “Karlsson will focus on the network’s global clients, including his creative leadership role in Commonwealth, the joint venture created to manage Chevrolet globally. Karlsson will maintain his title as Chairman of McCann New York and London.”

Of course, Karlsson’s expanded global responsibility has left a bit of a hole in McCann’s New York office. The agency is filling it by promoting Sean Bryan and Tom Murphy, previously co-ECDs for McCann’s Verizon business, to NY co-CCOs.

And, in case these weren’t enough promotions/position changes for you, we should also mention that Andreas Dahlqvist, a member of McCann’s global leadership collective, will work with Karlsson as deputy global CCO. Dahlqvist will also be maintaining his current role as vice chairman of McCann NY. Now, who wants to make a colorful infographic of all this?

From McCann Worldgroup and prodco Caviar LA comes a new round of spots for Sony Ericsson’s Xperia PLAY gaming platform. In March, we saw comedian Kristen Schaal debut as Xperia PLAY’s new emotionally unstable spokesperson, and, as evidenced above, her gaming-obsessed character doesn’t seem to be toning the crazy down any time soon.

The latest campaign for Xperia PLAY focuses on Minecraft, a game that allows players to build pretty much anything using pixels as though they were digital LEGOs. In a contest running through November 7, players can enter on Sony Ericsson’s Facebook page to compete for the opportunity of meeting Schaal in person by constructing the most impressive Minecraft creation. For the nerd who considers crushing on Zooey Deschanel or Lizzy Caplan “too mainstream,” it’s an opportunity that might be too good to pass up.

The spot is a bit of a departure from the series that debuted in March, leaning more toward Schaal’s uncomfortably creepy Flight of the Conchords character and away from the over-the-top gun-loving Satanic spokesperson that we were introduced to seven months ago. But, for those jonesing for some profane bloodlust from Schaal, see another new spot below. Credits after the jump.

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We’ve seen a lot of ads in the recent past dedicated to a variety of company’s latest smartphones. Yeah, technology is cool and all, but props to Sony Ericsson for injecting some humor into ads for their latest product, Xperia PLAY.

Debuting today on YouTube are five spots from Sony and McCann starring comedian Kristen Schaal of Flight of the Conchords and The Daily Show fame. Helmed by SNL and Portlandia director Jonathan Krisel, the spots highlight the phones unique gaming abilities above all else. In a press release, Peter Farmer, head of marketing for North America, Sony Ericsson says, “With the Kristen Schaal videos, we’re showing everyone that we are ready to PLAY, by having a little fun first.”

What other kind of phone would you expect from the company behind the PlayStation 3? Credits, and Schaal ready to “blow the heads off her mother f&$%#*g enemies” after the jump.

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