Rebecka Martinsson (Season 2)

Dare I say that I liked Season 2 more than Season 1?

For me, the best thing about Season 1 was the performance of Ida Engvoll.  I haven’t read the source novels but I thought her portrayal of the conflicted title character was superb.  Hence, I wasn’t enthused by the decision to replace her with Sascha Zacharias in Season 2.  Still, I must admit that her performance is good but it’s hard to shrug away the images of Season 1.

Where Season 2 scored for me over Season 1 was in the balance between the crimes and their investigation on one hand, and the storyline of the title character on the other.  Secondly, the plots were more grounded.  Like Season 1, the supporting cast is excellent and the beautiful, if bleak landscapes cast a spell of their own.

Here’s a link to a trailer.

Budget Direct- Bad Dog

This amusing commercial from Budget Direct is a good example of imagination gone wild.

Corona Awareness

This PSA film is part of a series that was described by the creative team behind it as “by far the grossest things” that they had ever produced.  Personally, I think it makes its point pretty effectively.

St1- Only Low Prices

While the key pitch in promoting its unmanned fuel stations is the low prices, in its latest round of ads, Nordic energy firm St1 has taken the rather unusual step of highlighting the lack of amenities at these stations. 

The firm has a history of promoting these unmanned stations in a manner that is humorous and unconventional.  Some years ago, it had put out an ad featuring Meat Loaf that “dared” you to try an unmanned station.  Last year, to promote its app for “a different kind of refuelling”, it came out with this series of commercials.

Renault Clio- The Next Chapter

A heart-warming 3 minute commercial that is embellished with excellent acting.

Alternative link

Ee-moo vs. Ee-mew

Last weekend, in a radio news report about a missing emu in the US, an American journalist referred to the bird as ‘ee-moo’ instead of the Australian pronunciation of ‘ee-mew’.  When this was pointed out, at first the journalist defended the pronunciation.  That led to a mix of outrage and passionate debate across the media. 

In the words of one Australian reporter:

Even though you admit that the Oxford Dictionary states that the correct pronunciation is "ee-mew", you still think you're right? You can't just rule that a word is pronounced a certain way.

Do we go around changing how to pronounce American bald eagle? No. So, lay off our national bird.

Meanwhile, in a brilliant tit-for-tat move, Tourism Australia put out this website that offers an emu’s take on pronouncing American names, places, and things.

Finally, on a discussion on Australian breakfast news, that also featured the owner of the emu, the American journalist acknowledged the possibility of change:

I have a feeling that this week we may gather together, sit in a circle and hold hands and really look into our souls and try to figure out if ‘ee-mew’ should be the proper pronunciation from this point forward.  I'm guessing, based on the reaction we have had and the fact that I don't want to cause an international rift, I think henceforth, from now on, it shall be ‘ee-mew’.

In contrast, the US embassy in Australia, which also had something to say on the matter, stated its intent for change a lot more clearly, when it tweeted this:

After much community consultation, the U.S. Mission Australia will be adopting the ee-mew pronunciation in all future emu-related alliance matters #USwithAUS

Last but not the least, the emu that went missing, and which goes by the name of Winston Charles Featherbill, has a Twitter account via which its own reaction to all of this was expressed.

BrewDog- Carbon Negative

According to this report:

Beer company BrewDog has gone carbon negative by switching to wind power for its breweries and bars, with plans to plant a forest's worth of trees.

The outdoor campaign of the company was a bit more direct.

Your News Bulletin

An interesting approach to creating awareness about fake news.

Meatless Farm- M… F… Campaign

According to a company spokesperson:

We felt the nation needed a bit of a lift as it’s been a tough time for everyone, so more than ever we wanted to create something light-hearted and fun that consumers would remember when they are looking for alternatives to meat.

Setapp- Snake

In this commercial, productivity app Setapp absurdly exaggerates the perils of getting distracted and not completing a task.

Organic Doggie Treats- Muzzled

The idea of presenting what a dog might think, or rather, what an “enlightened pooch” might think, has been at the heart of the ad campaigns of Organic Doggie Treats.  Its latest commercial features a malamute reflecting on the current debate over masks.

Too Soft to Take Off

A rather intimate commercial for… -perhaps best to see for yourself.

Pepsi Picker- Real Skills

From Ecuador: a delivery app that doubles as a jobs site.

After being laid off during the pandemic,  a number of workers- white and blue collar- have found alternative employment as delivery service messengers.  In that backdrop, Pepsi has partnered with Picker, one of Ecuador’s most popular delivery platforms, to create an opportunity for its messengers to be hired for their core competence.  Consequently, its app has been modified to include the work experience and skills of its messengers, which pop up with every order they deliver. 

Here’s a link to the campaign video.

The Sleepy Town With a Snoring Problem

From Australia: this is a 3 minute film that is part of a campaign for SleepCheck, an app that tells you if there is “more to your snore”.  The film features real residents from Tuross Head, a small New South Wales coastal town.

Magnum XXL Towels

Limited edition beach towels, pitched as works of art that also serve a practical necessity.  Here’s a link to the promotion video.

The Escape Artist (2013)

It would seem that this 3 hour mini-series has something to say about criminal justice and the nature of legal defence.  What that is, doesn’t come out clearly, perhaps on account of the convoluted plot, dubious character motives, and ludicrous plot twists. Still, it manages to be very watchable, thanks to excellent performances, most notably by David Tennant in the lead role.

Here’s a link to a clip.

Haier Leader- iCase

This commercial makes quite the case for a modular refrigerator.

Snickers- First Visitors

For some people, coming out of lockdown and making the transition from virtual meetings back to actual face-to-face meetings may be a bigger challenge than they think.  Or at least that’s what Snickers wants us to believe in its new commercial.

Astreea- THE Dispenser

A sanitiser dispenser, pitched as a work of art and master craftmanship.  That, and more, is what the people behind the Romanian brand Astreea seem to be going for, in this compelling video.

Burger King- Late Night Delivery

The latest ad from Burger King Brazil takes the extraordinary step of featuring candid clips from its stores at night, showing customers at their worst: drunk, disorderly, or just doing stuff that is plain embarrassing.  It’s part of a promotion for its late night delivery service that is succinctly pitched as “the best of BK, without the worst of BK”.

Deserted

The makers of this video call it a “trojan trailer”: a message video that looks like a movie trailer.

For Those Who Miss the Sounds of the Office

A selection of websites to keep open in the background:

The Sound of Colleagues

I Miss The Office

Calm Office

Badoo- Keep the Home Fires Burning

The current pandemic has seen quite a few advertisers push the limits on acceptable ways to grab attention.  Somewhere at the top of that list, I am inclined to include dating app Badoo which has put out posters that thank Britons for “sacrificing sex for your country”.  Actually, that’s just the footnote- the headline copy and the visuals are more explicit, in-your-face, and leave nothing to the imagination.  At your risk, click here to see one example. 

The company explains its approach thus:

54% of singles are unsure on the rules about sex in lockdown so we've taken to the streets of London to make it loud & clear

In addition, for those who prefer a frank, no-holds-barred, long read, there is a 2000 word post on its website.

For anyone curious to know more, here’s a link to an in-depth report/ analysis of the campaign.

We should do this more often

Who knew that hand washing could be so sensual? 

This is a video that was released in April by a group of Los Angeles-based filmmakers.  As they put it to the viewers, the idea is to “turn you on” to good hygiene. 

There is also a “cleaner” version which, the filmmakers assure, “you can show your grandmother”.

Inert City

This 15 minute short film presents a chilling scenario of what an extreme traffic jam could lead to.

Life Below Water

The voiceover by Morgan Freeman that opens this 2 minute short is disarmingly deceptive.

Dominating every corner of the great sea, the ocean's newest inhabitants are making their permanent mark on life below water.  The creatures in this fascinating species do not have brains, teeth or even simple nervous systems. But miraculously, they can travel hundreds of miles, and live for thousands of years.

Right at that moment, when you think that this is a documentary about a new species of undersea life, it halts you in your tracks with one dreaded word.

RIP Alan Parker

Two scenes that stand out for me for their breathtaking uniqueness.

From Angel Heart (1987): The ‘egg’ scene.

From Mississippi Burning (1988): The razor wielding scene.

Greek Summer

For years now, Destination Greece has been promoting the ‘Greek Summer’.  Borrowing the same theme, we now have this commercial from… well, see if you can figure out what is the product/ service being advertised.  If at the end, you are still not sure, click here.  With that knowledge, you might like to re-watch the commercial, and closely study the imagery in it.

Swan Lake Bathtub Ballet

Awesome idea, inspired execution. 

From the description:

Set to Tchaikovsky's famous swan theme, 27 elite ballet dancers from renowned dance companies across the globe perform a modern-day Swan Lake from their own home (filled) baths. Swan Lake Bath Ballet was choreographed, filmed and post-produced completely remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The quirky choreography was performed in baths from New Zealand to South Africa, America to Hong Kong, Australia to the UK. Swan Lake Bath Ballet was filmed on smart phones, with innovative solutions such as a child’s scooter, piles of books, even a toilet plunger being co-opted to help stabilise and enable camera angles.

Here’s a link to the 3 minute video.