This guy will need specially fitted front seat if he wants a Toyota

There are lots of ways, I suppose, to illustrate how a hybrid engine works, but few get the point across like this Toyota ad from Saatchi & Saatchi Australia. Here's the setup: A guy is reading the paper (headline: "G20 must not forget the developing world"), and then you notice he has an extra pair of hands, which lets him grab a cup of coffee without putting the paper down and put Vegemite on his toast while continuing to read and sip his joe. Meanwhile, a charming a capella tune plays that reminds me of Petra Haden's version of The Who Sell Out. This is one of those ads that make you wonder what's going on for the first 95 percent or so. Is it to raise awareness for Siamese twins? Is it a gay thing? Ah, it's a metaphor for "petrol and electric in perfect harmony." OK. But wouldn't it have been better to have shown the guy working the whole time instead of eating?

—Posted by Todd Wasserman