Unable to find a French basketball player who could dunk, or even make a lay-up, Nike resorts to shooting a Crazy Horse cabaret dancer.

(click ad for closer look)
And 5 Crazy Horse dancers could probably take the French national men's squad.
OK, seriously, I really don't have anything terrible to say about this ad announcing the opening of a Nike store on the Champs-Elysées. It's cute. (related: if this was a travel blog, I'd have plenty terrible to say about the Champs-Elysées—have you been lately? What a fugly tourist area it has become. Snap your pic of the Arc de Triomphe and get the fuck outta there.) Thanks to Trevor for the image, found here. And, for those of you who say I never like anything, here's a recap of other ads I've praised:
1. Holiday Inn TV spots.
2. Snickers Halloween ad.
3. this Cingular commercial.
4. print ad for a Calgary hemp store.
5. Iggy Pop outdoor posters for John Varvatos.

American Psycho ad graphically graphic.

(click ad for closer look)
Apparently the 2000 movie, starring the wonderful Christian Bale as the horrible Patrick Bateman is just now making its New Zealand TV debut. previously in graphically appealing print ads: Calgary hemp store ad gets high marks; Levi's Eco jeans ads beautiful/depressing;
(image via)

Stare at this ad for 20 seconds—does it work for you?

(click ad, via) The zit-spots kept coming and going, and never fully disappeared for me. Plus, now I have a fucking headache. Conclusion: OXY doesn't eliminate pimples and gives you a headache. Also: I don't have 20 fucking seconds to waste staring at an ad, dickwads. Ad agency: Ogilvy, Johannesburg.
Here's two better optical illusion ads: a trippy one for a Calgary hemp store,  and a vibrating one for a sex toy seller.

I prefer to think of myself as a "stranger enthusiast."

(click ads to read copy)
Return with me, if you will, to the salad days of 1970s/80s creative print advertising. Before this stupid Internet gummed things up. To the days of long copy ads that told a story, and the product benefits were cleverly weaved into the story. That's the approach taken here and now in 2008 by South African agency Ireland/Davenport to sell Barska binoculars. The stories? Stalker stories (here's a 3rd ad in the campaign). The tagline: Putting the king back in stalking. When ad "creatives" talk about advertising being fun, this is what they're talking about it; but rare is the opportunity where you get a client willing to do this kind of stuff (it's happened to me maybe five times). Kudos to Barska. Will these sell product (to non-stalkers, I mean)? Ah. That's always the million dollar question. Fuck if I know. I hope so. What do you think? previously in ads I liked that may or may not have worked: Energizer batteries; Snickers Halloween ad; Old Spice TV spots; Holiday Inn TV spots; Iggy Pop for John Varvatos; Skittles "Touch" spot; Vegas.com Are You A Douchebag?; American Psycho ad; and Calgary hemp store ad.

two ads with dogs in them that are kinda funny.

(click ad [left] for a closer look)
L—print ad for Flatazor Prestige senior dog food. Via TBWA Paris.
R—Spot (click HERE to watch) for Otrivin nasal spray. Via Saatchi & Saatchi Milan.
previous ads I've kinda liked: Pringles hot & spicy ad; graphic American Psycho ad; groovy Calgary hemp store ad; Snickers Halloween ad; Skittles "Touch" TV spot; Vegas.com's Are You A Douchebag promo; a couple of Old Spice commercials; some Holiday Inn TV spots; and John Varvatos Iggy Pop outdoor ads.

Here's some award-winning ads for batteries that I don't hate.

(click ads for closer look. see third ad in campaign here.)
I DON'T like liking stuff.
Other stuff I've reluctantly liked in the past three years: graphic American Psycho ad; groovy Calgary hemp store ad; nicely creepy Snickers Halloween print ad; sadly wonderful Skittles "Touch" spot; Vegas.com's Are You A Douchebag? promo; Not one but TWO Old Spice commercials; Holiday Inn TV spots; and the use of Iggy Pop for John Varvatos.

Funny Ad of the Day.

(click ad twice, via) That's Manhattan. Cupid's a hackneyed dating site creative linchpin, but this is different enough to make it above average. By Vancouver's Rethink Communications.
Previous Funny Ads of the Day:
• Sour Marbels candy.
• Kennel1 dog laxative ads.
• Head & Shoulders China.
• Snickers creepy Halloween ad.
• Trippy Calgary Hemp store ad.
• Hilarious Holiday Inn TV spots.
• How to make a child jackhammer.

I now like two (2) Old Spice commercials.

Misanthrope flabbergasted! First, Wieden+Kennedy made the best deodorant commercial ever. Now, they've followed that up with this perfectly harebrained spot for Old Spice hair & body wash. The casting is artwork. Previously in stuff I like: Holiday Inn TV spots; Snickers Halloween ad; Cingular commercial; Calgary Hemp Store ad; John Varvatos/Iggy Pop outdoor posters.

hemp store ad gets high marks from copyranter.

(click on the ad for an even heavier trip)
Ad for the Grass Roots hemp store in Calgary, Alberta.
I don't like many print ads, it's true. You people are always prodding me, 'well DOUCHEBAG, how 'bout showing us an ad that you DO like.' And then I'm all like, 'I WILL when I fucking FIND one.' If I was back teaching ad classes, I'd give this an A+ and tell the student to never take another ad class because he/she doesn't need to. No headline. No copy. Small logo. It's beautiful man. fucking BEAUTIFUL!
(image via)

copyranter likes a print ad from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

(click ad for closer look)
It joins a short list of print executions I've liked in the last couple of years: this groovy trippy ad for a Calgary, Alberta hemp store; this Kelly Award-winning Halloween ad for Snickers; Iggy Pop for John Varvatos; this teaser ad for the HBO show "Big Love"; and this spec ad I did (and presented to the client) celebrating Time Out New York's 10th birthday.
(image via)
update: The studio actually is in Halifax, Nova Scotia, says an anon commenter. I mistakenly just went by the 405 area code of the studio's phone number.)