It may seem counterintuitive: buying tickets to see advertisements? With the advent of DVR, TiVo and on-demand streaming video online, you may have rendered your life (largely) commercial-free. Indeed, the advertising industry has suffered considerable losses in the years since these television enhancements became widespread. Nonetheless, the art of short-form commercial filmmaking continues to be celebrated by the Association of Independent Commercial Producers, which is partnering with the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston to host screenings of award-winning ads from the U.S. and the U.K. When asked what led the ICA to hold an event focused on advertising rather than traditional film or video art, Branka Bogdanov, curator of film at the ICA, said in an interview with the Justice, "In the essence, the mission of the ICA's Film program is to present work which explores and pushes the envelope of cinematic language today. This is exactly what the American and British commercials do. Additionally, it is very interesting to witness in the best of American and British commercials a conflation of new media, usage of innovative technology, old storytelling, ideas and crafts."

The Saturday, Jan. 30 showing of Award-Winning British Commercials 2009 will be the Boston premiere of this collection of the 31st annual British Television Advertising Awards' chosen works. The ads provide a window into British daily life for viewers who may not be familiar with the experience of watching British television. Some ads are provocative, some visually stunning; some feature amazing stunts and celebrity endorsements. Said Bogdanov, "A mischievous sense of humor is what sets apart British from American commercials. It seems that this very specific style of humor has its roots in British history, culture and in acclaimed TV comedy. The British commercials are born of that same culture. (One of my favorites is a Christmas ad where a puppet monkey sells tea dressed as the queen Elizabeth.)"

Matt Miller, President and CEO of AICP, wrote in an e-mail interview with the Justice, "While at a point in time, you could generalize and say that American advertising had a bit of a harder selling message, and British advertising was a softer, more entertaining messaging, the distinctions are much less today. This is because the world is becoming much more homogenized in communications, ideals, values and culture. While advertising still reflects the culture and creative sensibilities in different countries, thanks to shared global media experiences, like the internet and global television outlets, the once obvious tone and characteristics are fading."

While nearly 100 British television commercials were recognized with awards, the ad that won the grand prize eschews celebrity endorsement and flashy stunts by the likes of breakdancers and skydivers for a more serious message. The ad, for Hovis Bread, features a historical tour of London as a boy runs home from the market carrying a loaf of bread. Said Bogdanov of the choice, "'Hovis: Go on Lad' . is so charming, nicely shot, and beautifully produced-it is a whole film in 122 seconds (a second for every year since Hovis was founded.) I think that this choice speaks about the jurors' admiration not only for the production values of the ad, but, as one juror stated, 'What impressed us was the bravery the client demonstrated by investing so substantially . in the hope it would halt a 10-year decline in sales.' Hovis was selling 72,000 more loaves a day a month after launch, or 26 million more loaves a year!"

The ICA will also host two screenings of The Art and Technique of the American Commercial, a collection of the AICP's top-winning ads, now in its 18th year. The ads are judged in 26 categories including visual style, performance, animation and original music and are chosen by a panel of 300 judges that include members of advertising agencies, production companies and editorial companies in addition to other industry professionals. At the Thursday, Jan. 28 event, Miller will introduce the screening. "[I] will introduce the 2009 AICP Show to the audience and discuss the significance of this archival project," he said. "The Show is more than an awards competition-it is an exhibition that honors the various collaborative crafts of commercial filmmaking, much like the Oscars honor the craft of filmmaking-there are awards for cinematography, visual effects, art direction, etc. The AICP Show is an ongoing project with archival significance-each year's installment (this being the 18th) reflects the pop culture of that given year.