RIP Tinto Brass

A few quotes attributed to him, as per IMDb:

Pornography is there to give you an erection. Erotica is there to give you emotions.

I put two balls and a big cock between the legs of the Italian cinema!

It's an old habit, a fixation of mine, a belief that in order to discover women's lies, all you just have to do is look at their ass. Because, as opposed to the face, which is a hypocrite mask capable of faking and lies, the ass doesn't lie.

A lasting relationship can't be based on fidelity, which is a cultural construct of bourgeois society. However, it's essential to be honest and talk about your affairs, especially because it can fuel arousal.

 

Cheeky (2000)
  - Opening park scene with credits (supposedly edited as SFW but discretion advised)

RIP Stacy Keach

Fat City (1972)
  - ‘Mismanagement’

James Norton is a beardless Santa

Marks & Spencer’s Christmas ad has him taking a break from delivering presents and, instead, heading off to London to experience the festive season.

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Life lessons for the road

From France: two new spots from Victimes & Citoyens — the road safety advocacy and accident victims’ assistance non-profit — make a quick and compelling case for civility on the roads.

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Boss Mini highlighters… for the lips

Italy’s leading make-up brand Kiko Milano has tied up with highlighter brand Stabilo to offer five lip shades packaged in the design of the latter’s iconic Boss Mini highlighters.

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Joy Delivered

Amazon has a strong contender for the best Christmas ad of the year.

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Fake news expert found to have fake doctorate

To quote from a report out of Ireland:

A leading Irish academic and former Fulbright scholar who is an expert on disinformation and ‘fake news’ has been falsely claiming to have a doctorate from a distinguished English university, Prime Time has established.

Tom Felle, an associate professor at University of Galway’s Department of Journalism and Media who was head of the department until last year, has been described as “Dr Tom Felle” on the university’s website, including in prospectuses designed to attract students to study at the college.

Mr Felle claims to have a doctorate in journalism from City, University of London (now City St George’s), where he used to work as a senior lecturer. The university’s department of journalism is widely regarded as the most prestigious of its type in Britain.

A former senior academic at City St George’s told Prime Time that “Tom registered for a PhD by prior publication with a City supervisor. However, the degree was not completed and he left the university a couple of years afterwards and did not pursue the PhD. He was therefore never awarded the degree.”

Mr Felle, a former journalist, has appeared on television and radio and in print as an expert on media issues, especially disinformation and online abuse of female politicians. In 2024, he was appointed as an expert assessor for the media regulator Coimisiún na Meán.

Dry-cleaning Dream

Small business software firm, Gusto, kicks off its ‘Dream Small’ campaign with a heart-warming tale of a young entrepreneur.

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The King of Clay Car

Kia pays tribute to Rafa Nadal with a full-size model of its EV4 GT sculpted by blending tennis court clay from Monte Carlo, Paris, Rome, and Madrid.

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‘Erase Your Ex’

Well, that’s one of the possibilities that Canva is pitching, in a new campaign for its photo editor.

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A Body Bag ‘you'll want to get into’

Blanket brand Rumpl has joined hands with Liquid Death to make an offer that, well, you can’t refuse, if you get my drift.  To quote from the press release:

The limited-edition launch introduces two new products: the Body Bag Sleeping Bag, built on Rumpl's Wrap Sack, and the Dirt Nap Blanket, based on the Original Puffy Blanket.

Liquid Death brings its signature humor and visual identity to Rumpl's performance-driven outdoor gear. The result is a collection that's equal parts functional and ridiculous, proving that staying warm and getting comfortable don't have to be boring.

 

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Iceland offers AI Knittakers

Remember when Iceland invited tourists to “Out-Horse” their emails?

In its latest campaign to tempt visitors, the country takes a dig at AI notetakers by promoting a cheeky — but very human — alternative.

Skip your next meeting. Let an AI Knittaker take it, while you visit Iceland instead!

Introducing AI Knittakers. Not Artificial Intelligence—real Authentic Icelandic knitters who attend your “could’ve been an email” meetings for you, skillfully knitting one important takeaway (if there was one), and free you up for something better.

 

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The Don’t Panic Room

Columbia Sportswear has a contest targeted at survivalists that offers a chance of winning a doomsday bunker (read: well-stocked, modified shipping container).  Along the way, its CEO — an increasingly familiar presence in their campaigns — takes a shot at tech billionaires.

[T]hose tech bros already have their bunkers, but they don't have the skills to survive outdoors. Try starting a campfire with crypto or fly fishing with microchips.  Good luck with that.

So, this bunker is going to go to somebody that's up to the task. Someone with the practical skills to survive the great outdoors. If you can hike, fish, navigate, forage, anything. Just send us a video to prove it and we'll deliver this bunker straight to the winner. Because if the world does go to [bleep] Bitcoin will not keep you warm.

 

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Norway makes toilets ‘great again’

Following Donald Trump’s derogatory comments on the country, Visit Norway has a campaign embellished with tasteful toilet humour, so to speak.

Norway make shit houses great again!

These toilets are worth a visit, both when you really have to go – and when you don’t.

Some restrooms along the Norwegian Scenic Routes actually invite you to take your time and enjoy the scenery – even if you don’t have any business to take care of.

 

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RIP Patrick Stewart

For those who’d like to remember him for more than Shakespeare, Star Trek, and X-Men:

   Yorkshire Tea commercial: Tina’s leaving do

   Uber Eats campaign: Face-off with Mark Hamill

   A chilling moment from Green Room (2015): ‘They’re smarter than you’

Brad Pitt, Dogs, and Coffee

This is how one report summarised the latest in the actor’s series of commercials for espresso machine brand De’Longhi:

Brad Pitt wakes up to sixteen dog roommates with opinions, subtitles, and zero interest in his sleep schedule — then Spike Jonze turns a Magnifica Duo pitch into a living-room tribunal about whether coffee is ever truly “perfetto.” Hot or cold is the product claim. Judgment is the joke.

 

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The Weathermen

A bizarre ad for betting platform, Kalshi, that is best enjoyed as a diverting 4 minute short.

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Fragrance Without Borders

It’s a campaign for Doctors Without Borders, best explained by the press release:

In a media landscape where attention is scarce, humanitarian crises are often pushed into the background. Since 2021, Mediaplus has supported Doctors Without Borders’ fundraising campaigns in Germany through cross-media strategy and planning. For the new campaign, the two partners, together with the Mediaplus Creative Collective, have reinterpreted the familiar format of the fragrance print ad: a traditional fragrance sachet is embedded within a visual world of floral aesthetics and perfume-bottle imagery, but the usual scented sample has been replaced with disinfectant, creating a true Fragrance Without Borders. Under the slogan “This Fragrance Knows No Borders”, the campaign draws attention to a product that plays a crucial role in protecting patients and medical teams in crisis regions around the world.

When Tesco partnered with Deliveroo

The announcement film draws inspiration from buddy movies, complete with a very ’80s track.

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‘No one loves you more than Exxon’

In fact, if it were possible, we at Exxon want to, in a gentle and loving manner, enter you from behind.

 

That’s from Yellow Dot Studios’ latest Big Oil PSA with Woody Harrelson finding the perfect narrative tone for Adam McKay’s satirical prose.

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