<p>Facebook announced Thursday that it had signed up its 1 billionth user. To celebrate, the company released an ad. The ad isn't really designed to sell anything. It is designed to help us understand Facebook's role in the world.</p><p>And it starts with chairs.</p><p>"Chairs are made so people can sit down and take a break," a woman's voice tells us as we watch all kinds of people sitting in all kinds of chairs. "Anyone can sit on a chair, and if the chair is large enough, they can sit down together.... Chairs are for people, and that's why chairs are like Facebook."</p><p>It goes on to tell us all kinds of things are like Facebook. Doorbells. Airplanes. Bridges. Oh, and the universe.</p><p>If you feel your eyes are rolling out of your head, you are not alone.</p><p>Gizmodo <a href="https://gizmodo.com/5948904/facebooks-first-ad-is-facebooks-worst-ad">wrote</a>, "Facebook's first ad is its worst ad," and the Atlantic Wire <a href="https://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2012/10/facebook-aims-real-human-emotion-new-ad/57596/">wrote</a>, "The deepness doesn't come off as heartfelt, but just kind of silly."</p><p>The ad was created by Wieden & Kennedy, the Portland, Ore.-based ad agency that became famous for making Nike's powerful advertisements. Facebook just announced that the ad agency is now its agency of record.</p><p>Wieden Creative Director Karl Lieberman <a href="https://adage.com/article/digital/facebook-emotional-spot-wieden-kennedy/237569/">told</a> Ad Age that the company wanted its first advertising message to be humble.</p><p><span>"Facebook wanted to speak in a significant, but humble way," Lieberman said. "We thought that starting off with chairs really did that. We don't think about chairs a lot, but you can if you want. You can spend $5 on a chair, or $5,000. They could be incredibly ordinary, or incredibly sophisticated. We thought it was a humble but interesting way for Facebook to start talking about itself."</span></p><p>The ad was directed by Alegnadro Gonzalez Inarritu, director of the films "Amores Perros" and "21 Grams." </p><p>And just in case you're wondering, yes, the <a href="https://twitter.com/facebookschair">@Facebookschair</a> Twitter account has already been claimed. </p><p><strong>ALSO:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-facebook-hits-historic-milestone-1-billion-users-20121004,0,1361388.story">Facebook hits 1 billion users, reaching historic milestone</a></p><p><a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-curiosity-mars-foursquare-20121004,0,5338346.story">Curiosity hopes to be Martian mayor, checks in on Foursquare</a></p><p><a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-starbucks-digital-tipping-20121004,0,5711972.story">Starbucks brews up mobile payment changes, adds digital tipping</a></p><p>Follow Deborah Netburn on <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/DeborahNetburn">Twitter</a> or <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/109675776633752908527/posts">Google+</a></p>
