Advertisement surrounds us. We encounter one product placement after another in our daily lives.

When done right, advertisement is an art. Some of the best art from overseas was on display last night at the British Television Advertising Awards at the Monona Terrace.

The products ranged from noodles to Gunnies; cell phones to drunken drivers. Some provided haunting images. A commercial for an anorexia foundation showed a half-naked woman. Her visible rib cage and vertebra would have me reaching for the remote if I were watching at home. Instead, I just shut my eyes.

While some commercials were serious, most were humorous. Even some somber topics used humor to make a point. An anti drunk-driving commercial shows the back seat of a cab hauling drunks home from a night of drinking. One passenger is eating a sandwich that crumbles across his shirt, while a woman throws up in her hands. These are the ones smart enough not to drive drunk the tagline proclaims.

The crowd reaction varied for each commercial. The advertisement that received the most applause was a cleaver Greenpeace ad that asked, “What does your car say about you.”

My personal favorites:

The real-life Simpsons.

The “Make yourself at home” alien.

“Summer in Britain,” which is eerily similar to summer in Wisconsin.

For those of you that attended, what were your favorite commercials? For those that did not go, the British Television Advertising Awards play again Sunday at 8:30 p.m. at the Monona Terrace. Check them out and let us know your favorites.