Guitar Hero has sparked a virtual movement (no pun intended) in the video game world and in promoting their latest release, World Tour, they've turned to athletes A-Rod, Tony Hawk, Michael Phelps and Kobe Bryant, for their first campaign.

Paying tribute to the famous lip- and guitar-syncing scene that appeared in the popular film “Risky Business,” each ad will highlight different celebrities jamming on instruments from Guitar Hero World Tour to the song “Old Time Rock and Roll,” performed by Bob Seger. The first commercial, which debuts today, features Kobe Bryant rocking the mic, Alex Rodriguez and Michael Phelps dancing while ripping it up on the exhilarating new guitars, and Tony Hawk sliding in on a skateboard to play the drums. The new commercials are an extension of the “Risky Business” inspired Guitar Hero ads starring American Idol season seven-winner David Cook and runner-up David Archuletta that aired during the American Idol season finale on May 21, 2008.

While it's a very good ad, I just can't stand Michael Phelps anymore. His presence almost ruins the entire thing for me. Still though, while the franchise certainly needs no help, ads like this certainly won't hurt it.

Guitar Hero World Tour Ad (Activision)

This event is just about the craziest thing I've ever seen. Last year it was Jake Brown falling four stories to the bottom of the ramp and this year it's Danny Way with another massive wreck. I can't even describe it. Here's the video....

First of all, that flip across that huge gap was ridiculous, but dropping two stories onto your shins? F that. Oh and get this....he came back and did another 3 runs, crashed again, and finished second. That's just madness.

Well I guess it isn't exactly "introducing", but rather reintroducing. ESPN has decided to go with daily coverage of Action Sports online and apparently one website wasn't enough. The "Leader" plans on taking it's one X-games like site, EXPN.com and turning it into a vast hub of multiple platforms for your viewing pleasure....

Signaling ESPN's dedication to complete, daily coverage of action sports, ESPN is re-branding its online home for action sports. The site will become ESPN Action Sports this fall as part of a new multimedia initiative that will also mark the launch of the ESPN Action Sports Network - a group of interconnected sites, including sport-specific vertical sites from ESPN (ex: ESPN Skate) and other premiere action sports destinations such as Surfline.com, Vans.com, Active Ride Shop and more. The new network of sites, with ESPN Action Sports as its central hub, will create multiple drop in points for action sports participants and enthusiasts, with the mission of developing the best, deepest, most useful network of action sports content and community anywhere.

"ESPN Action Sports signifies an ongoing focus to bringing ESPN.com's standard of excellence and comprehensive coverage to the action sports arena," said Dave Finger, senior director, action sports, ESPN Digital Media. "We have been building towards this vision for more than a year - piece by piece - and this marks a new starting point for the next stage in the evolution of what our digital media assets will deliver to athletes and enthusiasts around the globe."

Seems like a lot of work for an X-Games event that comes only twice a year, but there has to be a market for this sort of thing, or they wouldn't be trying it. I personally thought the fad had run its course, but you're going to get ratings and viewers with dudes falling 40 feet out of the air (ala Jake Brown above). The demo is an advertisers dream, so if they tap into something other networks couldn't (NBC), they'll be raking in the dough. It will more than certainly come at our expense over on ESPN, but what's new right?

The added use of sites like Vans.com is curious to me as well, but not something ESPN hasn't done before.

(Via ESPN PR)

I just can't pass on posting this video on a Tuesday, and you'll ultimately either hate me or love me for it. Actually if you hate it...blame With Leather for the nut shot to end all nut shots....

Oh god. The reverberations from that cable are just insane. Wow.

The Greatest Thing You'll See All Week (With Leather)