It's Frankenstein, Dracula, Godzilla, and all the other favorite monsters -- showcasing their often overlooked careers as advertising spokesmen! ("My aching joints made it hard to get around," Frankenstein says, in a pitch for Osteo Bi-Flex...)

As usual, the Japanese have come up with some really creative pitches -- but I was impressed by the big-budget American ads. And it wouldn't be Halloween without a commercial from Elvira. (One advertising industry article notes that she was part of a successful push to encourage a new beer-drinking holiday that Coor's could dominate.) Elvira ultimately became the first female to serve as the national spokesperson for a beer -- but her popularity created a problem. At liquor stores people kept trying to swipe her cardboard cut-out!

When October 31 rolls around, I'll be watching funny monster videos on the web. Happy Halloween!