From the Wall Street Journal: "The venerable television commercial has been scoffed at by legions of marketers who can point to alluring new ways to get a message across in a more-targeted fashion. One of the most-popular of these new methods, it turns out, is ... the TV commercial... "TV commercials recently are taking on a new form: the 'call to action,' as it is known. The new genre is intended to light a fire under couch potatoes and motivate them to get up and go some place else -- some place where they will see or hear or read a promotional message for the brand. "An eye-catching example of the new species is a spot that seems like a public-warning message... It alerts viewers about the threat from peddlers of counterfeit cars. But for those who care enough to follow the instructions, a miniature adventure awaits... "The message is a commercial for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG's Mini Cooper. The spot... urgently warns viewers not to be tricked into buying a fake... "Then comes the call to action: The spot invites viewers to buy a DVD for $19.99 that tells all about the counterfeit Mini crisis in a 10-minute 'program.' And it directs viewers to a Web site where they can learn more about the organization and even submit photos of fake Minis they have created... "The new ads -- advertising types are calling them 'invitational' ads -- aim to immerse consumers in a brand even when they aren't actively reading a magazine or watching TV... "An emerging goal among ad agencies is 'creating a message that people are willing to actually seek out and spend time with -- however this can be done,' says John Osborn, president and chief executive of the New York office of Omnicom Group's BBDO Worldwide... "When asking consumers to respond to ads, 'you know perfectly well that most people won't bother,' says Tim Mellors, president and chief creative officer of WPP Group's Grey Worldwide North America. 'But when you get it right, it's another stage of involvement that's never been there in the past.'.. "For Cadillac, General Motors Corp. and ad agency Chemistri, a unit of Publicis Groupe, have been running ads that last for just five seconds. Using snatches of Led Zeppelin, the spots emphasize how the car goes from zero to 60 in less than that time. Blink and you might miss the spot, but one thing that will probably stick is the name of the Web site, www.Cadillacunder5.com, where consumers can get more information... "A major force driving the new form is marketers' desire to know who and how many people it is reaching with a particular spot... visitors who make the phone call to request a DVD or visit the Web site can be traced to the ad that invited them to do so."