James Lipton in hilarious LG ad campaign: "Before You Text, Give it a Ponder"

These television spots for LG Mobile featuring "Actors Studio" host James Lipton really get the Funny job done. Post with background over at Laughing Squid. The campaign site is here (warning: Flash, auto-load sound). There's an article about the purpose of the campaign here. I'm guessing they were created by the same agency that did "Subservient Chicken" for Burger King? I'm told the agency was Young and Rubicam.

Above, my favorite spot in the "Ponder" campaign, which includes a unicorn reference.

• [Xeni Jardin]

  @MCN, that’s silly. The ads feature both female and male subjects who don the Beard of Wisdom. I don’t see this as trans-hating at all. Maybe if all the spots featured teenage girls, okay, but half of them feature dudes. And I say that as someone who is unafraid to call out trans-hating, and who is trying to be as mindful and sensitive as possible about discrimination or prejudice around sexual and/or gender identity matters.

• [FreakCitySF]

  Where can I buy a beard like that, or make one!

• [Anonymous]

  The Barbarian Group in Boston did the Subservient Chicken ad. Did they do this one too?

• [Dave Bullock (eecue)]

  So now they need to do a special edition version of this advert with Will Ferrell. Yes that would rock.

• [Anonymous]

  Y&R NYC created these commercials.

• [luketheobscure]

  I think Crispin Porter and Bogusky were the masterminds behind subservient chicken. I could be wrong though. I frequently am.

  • [Xeni Jardin]

    No, Barbarian Group did Subservient Chicken. Don’t know about this campaign, but I asked that question aloud, also.

    • [TheWillow]

      Subservient Chicken didn’t offend enough people to be CP+B

• [Brent Trimble]

  Thanks for the feedback. Y&R conceived and produced the spots and produced the web campaign components with digital partner VML’s NYC office.

• [Sean Blueart]

  I like the way he transforms her appearance-wise and consciousness-wise into Jesus.

• [Anonymous]

  What Would Jesus Forward/ReTweet?

• [lizstless]

  Hey guys –

  We, The Barbarian Group, did the Subservient Chicken WITH Crispin – it was a team effort – they dreamt it up, we built it.

  As for this, we weren’t involved. Don’t know if Crispin was.

  – Rick Webb, Barbarian Group

• [MrsBug]

  So deliciously funny. Watch the Catfight one. James Lipton saying “oven mitt hot”….riot.

• [oscar]

  This was done by mega-advertising firm Young & Rubicam: http://www.boardsmag.com/screeningroom/tvfilm/8463

• [Xeni Jardin]

  Hi, Rick, apologies for the inaccuracy on my part and thank you for weighing in!

• [cymk]

  Damn now I have an awesome idea for next years halloween, I just need a detachable James Lipton beard.

• [milovoo]

  These may just be the best PSAs* that I have ever seen.

  * If PSA is the right term for a altruistic commercial message.

• [Berandor]

  Good to know that women think about ridiculous ponies and catfights, whereas guys think about allergic reactions and how their girlfriends are twitter addicts.

• [franko]

  “james lipton” and “junk” are now in my mind, dangerously close to each other. *shudder*

• [mcn]

  As the inimitable Shakesville points out, “While I quite genuinely appreciate the humor of James Lipton referring to a unicorn collectible by the name “Clippy-Clippy Clipclop,” my delight was somewhat diminished by: 1. Finding the implied absurdity of a girl in a beard to be transphobic; 2. Feeling vaguely creeped out by the idea of a man in a teenage girl’s bedroom, of whom she’s unaware even as he touches her face; 3. Objecting strongly to using a beard, culturally associated with masculinity and maleness, to represent thoughtfulness—note that the girl isn’t thoughtful until she’s marked with a symbol of masculinity. Fail.”

  I can’t help but agree.

  • [IWood]

    Oh, you could help it. You just don’t wanna.

  • [Antinous / Moderator]

    I think that the beard was implying pompousness, not thoughtfulness.

  • [CANTFIGHTTHEDITE]

    Well my thanks to Shakesville for sucking all the joy out of life.

• [Ben]

  Boy, when he puts the beard on that girl in the Catfight one, she bears a freakish resemblance to Dave Navarro.