The Cassie Awards are here. That time of year when people in advertising win awards and show the rest of the world who clearly don't care. What is it they say about humor only being one step removed from tragedy?

The Nippon “Create Magic” campaign is based around the concept of changing not only the physical environment, but also the emotional mood of the people in that environment. The film features the Blobby characters first launched by Nippon in 2008. The challenge was to breathe fresh life and creativity into an existing execution and to create a fun and energetic film as we follow the Blobby’s adventures. In the commercial, the family are led through a transformation of their house from dull to vibrant as the Blobbies turn possibilities into realities and create magic from the mundane.

James Bartolomeo of Protagonist Films directed a new campaign for Century 21 that portrays its agents as “smarter,” “bolder” and “faster” than other real estate professionals. Conceived by Philadelphia agency Red Tettemer + Partners in its debut for the brand, the new spots present scenes of bright, young Century 21 agents, punctuated by shots of dogs, ostriches, chess matches, circuit boards and other things that serve as visual metaphors for their drive and savvy.