Although it sets the romanticism bar way too high for regular guys like me, this ad makes me disagree with everyone predicting the demise of the traditional TV spot. Because in a wonderfully non-traditional way, this ad defies convention while still doing everything a great advertisement should:

1) It completely breaks through the clutter.

2) It's truly unique and differentiable.

3) It asks for our attention rather than interrupting us.

4) It totally involves us in the drama.

5) It speaks to us on a level we can all understand.

6) It delivers an exceptionally cool and meaningfully memorable experience.

Maybe it takes a financial collapse to bring out the best in us, but there's hope for advertising yet.

Let's get a little nostalgic. After nearly a 20-year hiatus, the Muppets are back. And with a whole generation that doesn't know Beaker, Gonzo, or even Kermit and Miss Piggy, there's work to be done.

So the media blitz is on. With YouTube videos, promos with everyone from the Jonas Brothers to the cast of Desperate Housewives, merchandise, and a revamped web site, something big must be happening. Rumor has it – Jason Segel of Forgetting Sarah Marshall fame is working on a movie for 2010 release.

We wonder where they'll pop up next...

"Green" products are seemingly everywhere these days. Marketers riding the green wave are flooding us with messages about environmental-friendly this and natural, sustainable that. We're surrounded by so many environmental claims that people are experiencing eco-anxiety as they try to figure out how to truly green their lives. How do you avoid greenwashing – misleading claims about the environmental benefits of a product or service – and make educated choices? Watch out for "The Six Sins of Greenwashing™" as defined by TerraChoice:

1. Sin of the hidden trade-off - the suggestion that a product is green based on an unreasonably narrow set of attributes without attention to other important environmental issues. Example: An electronic product that is really energy efficient, but laden with mercury.

2. Sin of no proof - a claim that cannot be substantiated by easily accessible information or third-party certification. Example: Personal care products (e.g. shampoo) that say they don't test on animals, but offer no evidence or certification.

3. Sin of vagueness - a claim that is so poorly defined or broad that its real meaning is likely to be misunderstood by the consumer. Example: A product that claims it's "all natural." Arsenic, uranium, and mercury are all natural, and they're poisonous. "All natural" is totally meaningless without further elaboration.

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