It's probably not blind chance that some of the most delightful TV commercials on the planet are created in George Orwell's homeland.

Brits understand that there's nothing to soften the image of a powerful, evil corporation like some playful, feel-good propaganda. In fact, they've made it an art form. Now in its 19th year as a holiday tradition at Walker Art Center, the 2007 British Television Advertising Awards program is a parade of ambitious, inventive, enthralling, ingenious ad work, awesome fusions of artistry and ballyhoo. The commercials collected in this 58-minute lineup are the ideal stimulants to counteract our tryptophan-induced Thanksgiving coma and cajole us into a buying mood.

The common themes among these dozens of prizewinners are misdirection, soft sells and reverse psychology, with a bit of sex and a lot of humor. There's a spot of mass nudism, with endearingly imperfect bodies of all shapes and ages congregating in woodlands and city squares, moving through mass choreography as a smooth-voiced narrator sings the praises of that often-ignored organ, our skin. The product: Vaseline.

Computer animation genie Marc Craste creates a whimsical dreamworld of mouthless puppets who smack huge wax-lips grins on their faces after winning a bag of smiles from the National Lottery. The look is nostalgic, the character and scenic design aggressively retro and the jingle, a catchy 1956 children's novelty number called "A Smile and a Ribbon," could trigger a revival mania for the sister-act singers Patience and Prudence.

If you saw last year's program, you probably recall the Sony Bravia hi-def LCD TV "Balls" ad, a luscious bit of eye candy with thousands of brilliantly hued rubber balls bouncing down a steep San Francisco street. This year there's a sly copycat ad that looks almost identical, until you notice that the cascading orbs are limes, oranges, red apples and lemons. This time the goods for sale is the fruit drink Tango.

Marmite, the yeasty-salty brewer's sludge that some Brits enjoy spread on toast, embraces the fact that many consumers will never warm up to its unique flavor. Its ad opens with a warm mother-and-newborn scene, erupts into an outburst of disgusting food-related hilarity and ends with the take-it-or-leave-it slogan, "You either like it or you don't."

Star Tribune, Star Tribune
A scene from a British advertisement that is being shown at the Walker Art Center as part of the British Advertising Awards.

Garrison Keillor's honey-toned narration for Honda's English TV campaigns once again produces a gem. This year he sings the praises of technology and innovation as one of Honda's lifelike Asimo robots walks through an art museum, cocking its plastic head at each example of human creativity.

The best commercial of the year was also the most logistically ambitious. Director Jonathan Glazer ("Sexy Beast," "Birth") took over a dull beige abandoned high-rise housing complex in Glasgow, wired it with 18,000 gallons of brilliantly colorful paint in 600 bottle bombs, and set off volcanic, gushing geysers edited to the explosive overture from Rossini's "The Thieving Magpie." It's a spectacular visual symphony. Come to think of it, it probably would look even better on a widescreen Sony Bravia.

Tonight's 7 and 9:30 p.m. screenings will be introduced by British Television Advertising Awards administrator Peter Bigg.

Colin Covert • 612-673-7186