So many companies have flailed and failed with their ad campaign characters, but two have caught my eye by doing it right - one with a well-known/celebrity spokesperson and one with an anonymous character.

The Allstate ads with the big black guy who stands in the middle of the road, the Rose Bowl, the Sugar Bowl (or wherever that is) has done a masterful job of generating credible, simplistic, informative brand awareness.

Now, in terms of capitalizing on celebrities, I'm generally skeptical...not skeptical that it works (b/c America is, after all, a celebrity-obsessed nation), but skeptical that anyone can do it right. Capital One has utilitzed that little pain-in-the-ass, piece of bitter crap David Spade masterfully. He's predicted no-storms in Chicago, no way jose's for Mexico, N-Os in L-A and the truth is, that is how I would expect Mr. Spade to act. It has become credible to me to use him in this reverse method.

What do you all think about campaign spokespersons....