Dev Patel, the Hollywood star, is to front a £100m advertising campaign promoting Britain to young, Asian tourists ahead of the Queen's diamond jubilee. Actor Rupert Everett and celebrity chef Jamie Oliver also appear in the adverts. Designed to lure more overseas tourists to the UK, the adverts are being complemented by short films from each celebrity, shot in a location of their choice.

When Eric Schmidt argued recently that online display advertising could become a $200 billion industry within the next decade, his words triggered thousands of bullshit detectors across the media industry.

Last week, China unveiled an ad campaign on the jumbotron screens in New York City’s Times Square to promote its national image. The two 30-second spots, titled “Experience China,” feature the country’s celebrities and luminaries from different walks of life.