British Advertising Films of 2007

Vaseline and sock monkeys

PG TIPS TEA: Adorably down to earth and Brit.

This annual program comprises the winners of the British Television Advertising Awards, and increasingly each year these commercials show an engagement with global (and often American) culture and commerce. But the more-liberal portrayals of sex and violence underscore the Brits’ tendency to deal with adult topics in a frank manner. This year’s drunk-driving PSAs are as brutal as ever. As for nudity, watch for a Vaseline ad that flashes way more flesh than its American version. The adorable, down-to-earth spots for PG Tips tea (with a pudgy retiree and a sock monkey) would make any coffee addict waver. Special effects — like the explosions of rainbow hues of paint all over a housing estate — take the highest honors.