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Morning Update: Powerade ad includes narration by Tupac Shakur

AdWeek: Gripping Powerade Spot With Derrick Rose Includes First Ad Narration by Tupac Shakur

In this inspirational ad from Wieden + Kennedy for Powerade, a boy who represents a young Derrick Rose rides through the south side of Chicago to a voiceover by Tupac Shakur—the late rapper’s first narration of a commercial.

“You see, you wouldn’t ask why the rose that grew from the concrete had damaged petals,” Shakur says. “On the contrary, we would all celebrate its tenacity. We would all love its will to reach the sun. Well, we are the roses. This is the concrete. These are my damaged petals. Don’t ask me why. Ask me how.”

AdAge: Netflix Isn’t Closed to Advertisers After All; Just Ask Anheuser-Busch InBev

Netflix doesn’t feature ads on its streaming video service. It likely never will. But product placement is a different matter.

What has been suspected has been confirmed: Brands can arrange to have their products appear in Netflix’s original series.

Anheuser-Busch InBev has signed a deal to be the exclusive beer marketer featured in the new season of Netflix’s original series “House of Cards,” which premieres on February 27. The company’s Stella Artois, Budweiser and Shock Top brands will appear in the third season’s episodes, building on a partnership that dates back to the first season of “House of Cards.” The company is not paying for the placement and is instead providing stock for props.

Creativity-Online: Leonard Nimoy Was a Blast in Ads Too

Today, February 27, 2015, the world lost one of its most beloved character actors, Leonard Nimoy, best known for playing Spock in the original Star Trek series and in subsequent feature films.

The role of the hyper-logical, pointy-eared Vulcan carried him far and became fodder for advertising too, as you can see, for example, in this funny 2013 film for Audi, created out of PMK*BNC, in which he faces off against “New Spock” Zachary Quinto. The film is rife with Trekkie references and other tidbits for true Nimoy fans. Check out more of Mr. Nimoy’s funny ad gigshere and on Adage.com.

Lego

AdWeek: Every Brand Wanted a Piece of #TheDress, but Who Wore It Best?

What a day the Internet had yesterday. First we watched llamas on the loose. Then, just after 6 p.m., BuzzFeed posted what might be its single most-shared article ever: “What Colors Are This Dress.”

If you’re unaware—which is impossible, unless you live in a cave—the story pointed to aTumblr discussion about the color of a dress. Welp, the Internet exploded—and so did the brands, which swarmed the topic like flies.

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