The 2010 British Television Advertising Awards

The British have us beat when it comes to television advertising. While American ads as a whole rely on addictive but mindless jingles and phrases, our friends across the pond are elevating their television spots to short-film cinema. And for two Sundays in a row at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, you can see them at The 2010 British Television Awards, a collection of the year's most thought-provoking TV spots, chosen by top advertising executives and producers from around the world.

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This year's most exciting spots include commercials for Volkswagen, Cadbury, the Department of Transport and McDonald's. The winner of the best ad of the year, T-Mobile, features a mass dance-off from a flash mob. In the infectious spot, a spontaneous group takes over Liverpool Street Station last year. Part of the "Life's for Sharing" campaign, the clip provides a charming visual of how quickly joy spreads through a crowd, encouraging the audience to share their joy with others - using their T-Mobile phones, of course.

That mini-movie is an example of what Richard Silverstein, co-chairman and creative director of San Francisco powerhouse Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, calls a real art form. "In general, TV advertising has always been a high form of public art in the U.K. People over there watch commercials as if they are entertainment," he told The New York Times. "[American] companies want everything buttoned-up in a 30-second ad. This often leaves nothing to the imagination, so you get pretty pedantic advertising." It's become quite common for a British television commercial to compete (and win!) at Cannes. 2 p.m. November 28, 5 p.m. December 5. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1001 Bissonnet. For information, call 713-639-7515 or visit www.mfah.org. $6 to $7.
Sun., Nov. 28, 2 p.m.; Sun., Dec. 5, 5 p.m., 2010