I posted an entry a month ago about Sprint PCS' new advertisements for wireless service. Since then, I've been inundated with searches for "macaroni minutes" every time I see that ad on TV. These days I can pretty much predict when the commercial has just aired based on when the search referrals start to stack up all of a sudden. It's one of several funny, well-done commercials that poke fun at wireless carriers that charge overage fees and have complicated service plans:

• Red ball: School children are told that they may play with new red balls, provided they estimate how many minutes they will use the balls during the next two years.
• Soccer: A student is called off the field and informed that he can’t play anymore this month because he’s used up his minutes.
• Dinosaur: A class is allowed to watch a video only if one of the students can figure out the complexities of a VCR.
• The New Kid: A new arrivee in an art class is given much better supplies than the other students have.
• Macaroni: A student is told that he “is over” on his macaroni minutes and must pay the school $49 immediately.

Some trivia about the ads: They were filmed at Brentwood Christian School in Austin, Texas, and the kids in the ads are actual students there. They were compensated a whole $1500 for their talent, plus they'll get a residual payment for each and every time the commercials air.