A little levity...

As Mark Twain said, the secret source of humour itself is not joy, but sorrow. Businesses large and small have been tapping in to that source to bring a smile to peoples faces and grab some attention along the way.

The "I love NY" campaign helped revive New York City's famous fortunes back in the Seventies, but no such luck now it seems. And while Virgin media has gone all hearts and flowers, one London restaurant has taken a rather more forceful approach to getting customers through the door. Fiat, meantime, displays ultimate confidence in its 500 model by refusing to take itself too seriously.

Promotion for the Consumption Issue of Mankind Mag. T-shirt available at American Apparel. www.designformankind. com Virgin Media ad, January 09 Flickr. Uploaded by Magnus D on 15 January 2009 Fiat 500 ad, February 094