• by Amy Corr , Staff Writer @MediaPostOTL, January 9, 2013

Planet Fitness launched a pair of ads during “The Biggest Loser” that put an end to “gymtimidation,” or the fear of joining gyms. You won’t find big bodybuilders or people judging newbies at these facilities, making it easier for anti-gym people to reconsider joining one. In “Burn,” a buff bodybuilder massages one of his ginormous hamstrings in the locker room while grilling a new gym member. Turned off by this, the man swears off gyms until he eventually joins Planet Fitness. See it here. Hot girls, wearing next to nothing, compliment one another on their amazing bodies in the next ad, seen here. Meanwhile, a new gym member sits nearby, afraid to remove her towel and change clothes. Red Tettemer + Partners created the campaign.

DDB New York created a TV spot for the New York Lottery’s January Multiplier Scratch-Off Games that illustrates the feeling of winning using a game of thumb war as a gauge. The first time he wins at thumb war, one guy is pumped. Multiplied by seven and the man has a small group cheering; multiplied by 20, the victor has a cheerleading squad and sportscasters praising his talent. The winning feeling when multiplied by 50 is out of this world, with the man flying through space and wearing an American flag cape. See it here. With all this winning, a print and outdoor campaign imagines the world will need more piggy banks. Running in AMNY, New York Post and Daily News, one ad shows a husband and wife piggy bank on a romantic dinner. The next two ads show mom and dad in the maternity ward with numerous piglets and the new parents at home, watching TV with their babes. See them here, here and here.

A deranged clown, living in the woods, is the star of one ad for Little Caesars. It’s summer camp for two girls who are walking through the woods at night. One says that a scary clown lurks in the woods while the other proclaims that Little Caesars offers $5 large pizzas. At that very moment, the clown appears, with a Little Caesars pizza in hand. See it here. The love for pizza knows no language boundaries in “Office.” An employee tells upper management about Little Caesars’ $5 large pizzas in English, Japanese -- and, when speaking to the printers and fax machines, in technobabble. Watch it here. Barton F Graf 9000 created the campaign. 

“Let nothing and no one deprive us of our way of enjoying life,” urges a 60-second ad for Campofrio, a food company in Spain. Citizens were given a much-needed self-esteem boost with a list of Spain’s greatest accomplishments told by a beloved clown and other famous celebrities. The ad begins with Fofito the clown describing a recent newspaper headline that says sales of antidepressants and joblessness have reached record highs. Fofito believes that the best way to keep the negative at bay is to recall one’s individual past achievements. As the clown proceeds to type Spain’s accomplishments on his typewriter he is aided by tennis player David Ferrer, journalist Iñaki Gabilondo and entertainers David Summers and Malú. See it here, created by McCann Erickson Madrid and directed by IcíarBollaín.

Volkswagen launched a cute spot for the Passat, featuring a father teaching his son how to throw a baseball. Since the father is a horrible thrower, it’s safe to say that his son will be, too. Fortunately, dad drives a Passat, a car he can pass down to his son for everyday use. Watch it here, created by Deutsch LA and directed by Simon Mcquoid.

Samsung launched an amusing TV spot for its Galaxy Note II smartphone. Two office co-workers use their smartphones in different ways. One worker gets his work done efficiently, while the other watches puppy videos and draws pictures. When the boss asks who compiled the latest earnings report, the slacker takes the credit. This backfires when the boss asks her to compile the next quarterly report and takes the efficient worker out to lunch. See it here, created by 72andSunny.

Annuity.com answers the what’s an annuity question in a TV spot called “Safe Man.” To ensure retirees that an annuity is safe and provides a set yearly income, a man holding a large safe follows a retired couple around town. The man and safe go grocery shopping, hit the sauna, go to the doctor, walk the beach and play golf while a voiceover clearly explains an annuity. Watch it here, created by Karlin+Pimsler.

Cramer-Krasselt created a website for the Milwaukee Police Department that’s so well done, it doesn’t feel like a law enforcement site. MilwaukeePoliceNews.com features the latest crime reports, a live stream of current crime rates and profiles on outstanding officers, and a list of the department's most wanted criminals, complete with photos and pending criminal charges. The site is an extension of MPD’s “Be a Force” campaign, which launched in 2009. The main area of the site is called “The Source,” containing breaking news headlines.

Random iPhone App of the week: The 'Flipadelphia' Flip Cup app allows fans of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” to play the classic flip cup game on their mobile device. The app was inspired by Philadelphia's flip cup tournament, highlighted in the "The Gang Reignited the Rivalry" episode. There’s a "head-to-head" feature mode for iPad, which allows two players to play on one device and flip from opposite sides of the bar simultaneously. Show characters taunt players when they miss a flip, but it works both ways, since players can taunt their opponents in the hopes that they’ll miss. Huge created the app, available for free in the App Store.