What campaigns did our resident ad critic bash for 2009? From Teleflora's ugly Super Bowl ad to AT&T's embarrassing response to Verizon, here's the worst of 2009.

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Following a complaint from Apple, Microsoft has quietly tweaked at least one of the ads in its "Laptop Hunters" campaign to reflect its rival's lower pricing on its Mac notebooks.

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- It's going to be a cruel summer in advertising. Attack ads have been on the rise for the past year, but comparisons are getting sharper, responses are growing testier, and an increasing number of ad battles are ending up in court. Just don't expect a letup, because they're also working.

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Attack ads can be a winning strategy if executed smartly, but a costly misstep that could leave you with a legal battle on your hands if you're not careful. A federal court ruling this week that DirecTV must halt ads that capitalize on competitor Charter Communications' potential bankruptcy is a reminder that caution is needed when going after rivals.

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- Domino's is running a new campaign designed to hit Subway right in the $5 foot-long. New comparative taste-test spots from Crispin Porter & Bogusky tout results from the latest in a string of "national taste tests" that claim underdog superiority, in this case for sub sandwiches sold by pizza purveyor Domino's.

In Ad Age's second annual ad-song contest, we fling praise and shame in equal measure. This year, sports ads reigned, with Saul Williams at the top of the heap.

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) -- Marketing seems to have entered a new era of attack ads.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AdAge.com) -- Just weeks before he demonstrates whether his campaign's blend of grass-roots appeal and big media-budget know-how has converted the American electorate, Sen. Barack Obama has shown he's already won over the nation's brand builders. He's been named Advertising Age's marketer of the year for 2008.