Friday Round-Up: 5 New Video Ads You Should Watch Right Now (07/12/2012)

Compiled by Liana Birkett, Andy Scofield and David Waterhouse

Axe released an anti-cuddling pillow, Harvey Nichols taught us how looks can kill, and TomTom tried its best to 'go viral'. Yep, it's just another week in Adland.

But which new ads have been setting the Viral Video Chart alight over the last seven days? Which ads have been the talk of the online world this week? Well, here are our five picks:

The wait is finally over. A mysterious online campaign launched by Topshop has been building up hype over the last few days as to who features in its debut Christmas film. At last, Kate Bosworth has finally been revealed as the secret star.

Video clips, tweets and photos online have all been gradually giving away clues to fans of the brand, using the hashtag #whosthatgirl. A lot of chatter was created online by the UK-based high street fashion store, as snippets of film or photos were released.

The clues started as fairly obscure, and then became increasingly obvious until the final clue, in the form of a short clip, was released. The ad features Bosworth balancing on a baby grand piano as she sings a rendition of classic Christmas carol, Winter Wonderland.

The clip is beautifully directed and the Blue Crush star looks stunning in a custom-made red dress, which she created along with the help of the Topshop design team. However, her singing voice is, I hate to say it, slightly questionable.

The track will be available to buy on iTunes, and Topshop has high (and possibly slightly deluded) hopes for the Christmas number one spot. 

There's no man you want to impress more than your future father-in-law, and there's no man you want to intimidate more than your future son-in-law. Subaru has sponsored this short comedy sketch showcasing this ultimate rivalry in a showdown at a car wash.  

This test of manliness features two recognisable actors: Jonathan Banks, who plays a hitman in Breaking Bad, is the father-in-law, while ex-Malcolm in the Middle star, Christopher Masterson, is the eager-to-impress son-in-law.

During a chance meeting at a car wash, the two men start by comparing tattoos, nasty scars and theirmanly stories. However, the situation soon escalates and the odd duo resort to bribing their way into their half-cleaned cars, to demonstrate their toughness. 

This is the first comedy clip released by the collaboration of TBS and DumbDumb, which was set up to allow marketers to run sponsored clips on the TBS website. The short films will also be promoted during TBS shows such as Conan and Family Guy.

Harvey Nichols' new Christmas ad shows just what could happen if looks really could kill. 

It's happened to the best of us - you spend months searching for the ultimate show-stopping dress to wear to your work Christmas party. You've procrastinated for hours online, picking out the perfect accessories and matching shoes. 

You turn up, the belle of the ball, and guess what? Some girl is wearing the exact same one. In the exact same colour. And it usually looks better on her too (although your friends reassure you of the opposite). 

This time, the showdown takes place at a party, where a redheaded lady sporting a stunning dress spots another guest in her outfit. Their eyes meet, and the stares are deadly. Quite literally. Her nemesis fires a laser beam from her eyes and narrowly misses the redhead.  The laser battle commences and the venue is slowly destroyed as things get heated. Even a chihuahua plays a part. 

So, in order to 'avoid a same dress party disaster' this season, as the tagline states, you should definitely pay a visit to Harvey Nichols. But, then again, if your co-workers aren't known for their 'party-animal' spirits, a laser quest battle could definitely liven things up. 

Axe is notorious for its suggestive commercials, especially those enabling average men to attract girls who are way out of their league. Its latest one deals with the conundrum of what to do the morning after.

So, you're out on a Friday night, you've applied your trusty Axe, and (obviously) you've managed to pull. You spend the night, er...'entertaining' the young lady, but the next day, you find that she's almost physically stuck to you. Obviously, the 'Axe Effect' just hasn't worn off yet. 

Axe, also known as Lynx in the UK and Australia, explains that as well as the babe-magnet quality, this 'cuddling' is another common side effect of using the body spray. But fear not. The brand, of course, has already come up with an infallible solution to the terrible problem it has caused - the 'Morning After Pillow'.

This blow-up pillow, in the shape of a man's torso and arm, can be used to replace the real thing, so that a sufferer of the 'cuddling' side effect can make his escape the next day.

This tongue-in-cheek spot was created by DDB Latina for the Unilever product. It has kept to the same hilarious (and ever-so-slightly sexist) angle of the brand's previous commercials. 

What makes ads popular on the web? That is the ultimate question which brands and advertising agencies ponder over daily. Well, TomTom has (kind of) got the right idea, in their latest tongue-in-cheek ad.

We all know about the success Evian's Roller Babies had, and how Old Spice's The Man Your Man Could Smell Like was a huge hit. But why were they so successful? The only thing they have in common is that they are both extremely random (and a little creepy) in their own ways.

Maybe the answer, as TomTom has decided, is to combine aspects of every video that has ever been a success into one clip. Surely that will work?

The result is a hilarious concoction of 'viral' clips, featuring one man who has tried to cover absolutely everything, from a T-Mobile-style flashdance (featuring only himself) to an attempt at Will It Blend (in a blender which just doesn't blend). 

At least TomTom acknowledges its 'shortcomings', admitting that instead of spending money on improving the ad, the company has spent all the advertising budget on prizes for customers for the holiday season.