Pete’s Nuts
From Australia: a fun spot… assuming you don’t mind a bit of double entendre. Here’s a link.
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Do it Justice
A beautiful spec spot for Leica that is dedicated to “preserving the passion of photography passed from father to child”. It started off as a personal project for the director- a way of paying tribute to his late father, an adman, with whom he shared a love of photography, and a preference for Leica cameras.
Spy Gaffe
“You are a perfect spy. All you need is a cause.”
Lovers of spy fiction will recognize this memorable line from the John le Carré novel, A Perfect Spy. The lead character in the book (to whom this line is addressed) is hired as a double agent, goes on to betray his country, and eventually takes his own life. Hence, it is worth asking, why would a spy agency use this line to entice new recruits.
Tweet from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS):
Meatless School Menu Controversy
A decision to temporarily take meat off the menu at schools in Lyon, France, has sparked a political row. It’s worth mentioning that fish and eggs continue to be on the menu. Here’s a selection of some of the most striking comments that I picked up from one report:
It’s absurd from a nutritional point of view, and a scandal from a social point of view.
…an unacceptable insult to French farmers and butchers.
It’s Lyon, the capital of gastronomy. For us, flavour is also essential.
CBO Comeback
“I’ve hungered for your touch”: the lyrics of Unchained Melody take on a more literal meaning in this new advert from McDonald’s Belgium.
Cauliflower Hash Brown Diet
A hilarious campaign from Irish plant-based food brand, Strong Roots, that pokes fun at fad diets, and the way they are marketed. As an alternative, it cheekily promotes its own cauliflower hash browns in the shape of a diet, which it describes as “no weirder than other fad diets”.
You Deserve a Good Poop
This new commercial for Phillips’ Milk of Magnesia states its case with remarkable candidness.
Outsmart your Lizard Brain
Money management app Yolt gets wildly creative in explaining the genesis of poor decisions related to spending money.
Ready for Anything
A new spot for Vistaprint takes business adaptability to an imaginative extreme: link.
WWF- The Cycle
This new spot from WWF gives a superb 60-second overview of how our lives are interconnected with nature.
Year of the Gun (1991)
MOVIE REVIEW
With a current IMDb rating of 5.6 from around 2,400 users, it would seem that this movie has neither been widely seen, nor has it been much appreciated. I’d like to suggest that it deserves a much higher rating. Notably, Roger Ebert gave it 3 stars.
To be clear, it is a flawed, pulpy thriller- but it is taut and gripping. Then there is the setting- Rome, 1978- a time when Italy was rocked by an unprecedented level of violent political unrest. It presents a fictional story that is tied to one of the most shocking events in the modern political history of Italy. If you don’t know what I’m referring to, chances are that you might find the movie a bit more suspenseful. What is especially remarkable about the movie is the way it transports you into that world- in large part, due to the splendid camerawork, and the manner in which the demonstrations and the violence are choreographed.
In case you feel like checking it out, I’d suggest you avoid watching the trailer.
Allergic to Drunks
A Florida woman who was arrested for drunkenly stabbing her sister with an EpiPen, is reported to have explained her actions by saying this:
I'm allergic to drunks, so I injected her with the EpiPen so she wouldn't be drunk anymore. What's the big deal?
Mobile Charger as a Romance Booster
From France: this new commercial from Bouygues Telecom proposes a mini-charger as a way for couples to get quality time in the bedroom.
Date with a Cow
As explained in this report from a few days ago:
Stoneyfield Organic, an organic creamery located in New Hampshire, is offering a 15-minute “Date with a Cow” Valentine’s Day package for consumers. The “date” can be purchased for $50 and includes a one-on-one virtual Zoom call with a real organic cow and festive treats such as strawberry yogurt, milk chocolate and a stuffed animal cow keepsake.
Consumers seem to be on board with this dating service. Due to an abundance of interest, all of the zoom calls have already been reserved. However, if one consumer gets cold feet and backs out of their date, other consumers on the waiting list just might end up with an udderly awesome Valentine’s Day experience.
American ShameCards Collection
From a distance, it looks like a colourful set of souvenir postcards covering places all across America. That is, until you look closer.
Eau de Apache
A fragrance that smells like a freshly baked Apache Pizza. Now, why would one want something like that? As explained on the campaign website:
We all know that one of the most irresistible things in the world is a freshly baked pizza, most people find it impossible to keep their hands off one.
Well, imagine if you smelt like one? Nobody could resist your charms.
To celebrate the most romantic day of the year Apache Pizza have launched a new fragrance that will make you smell exactly like an Apache pizza.
Link to the tongue-in-cheek campaign video.
Dumpster Stay
That’s an offer from Hotels.com. From the campaign web page:
Is Valentine’s Day giving you flashbacks to the former flame who did you wrong? Calling all travelers with emotional baggage: Hotels.com wants to help you reserve your ex a stay where they belong– in a dumpster, figuratively of course, and you a stay where you belong — we are envisioning a penthouse suite.
The Road to Completion
Remember the Mortgage Kama Sutra? In its continuing quest to add spice to the sex lives of prospective homebuyers, ahead of Valentine’s Day, UK mortgage broker Habito has released an illustrated erotic novella- The Road to Completion.
Here’s a snapshot of the back-cover blurb:
Here an extract that gives a flavour of the text:
The Helping Plate
A plate that is designed to get young children to subconsciously eat more vegetables than they might otherwise prefer to.
Link to explainer video.
“I’m not a cat”
A Texas lawyer logged into a court hearing via Zoom with a kitten filter accidentally turned on. When the judge noticed it, and pointed it out, he replied that he was aware of it, that he didn’t know how to disable it, and he had someone working on that. Nonetheless, the lawyer felt the need to clarify things further, which resulted in this priceless exchange:
Lawyer: I’m here live. I’m not a cat.
Judge: I can see that.
The Investigation
SERIES REVIEW
In August 2017, 30-year-old Swedish journalist Kim Wall went missing in Denmark. For those who don’t know or remember that case, it led to a media circus fuelled by the sensational elements of the investigation such as the mystery of a sunken submarine, a high-profile arrest, and the discovery of a dismembered body. What didn’t get enough attention was the meticulous, painstaking work of the Danish police to uncover the truth. The Investigation is a 5.5-hour mini-series that presents their efforts in great detail. It is an unflashy but gripping police procedural with solid performances, that stands out on a number of counts.
For one, it is an elaborate and obsessively authentic portrayal of what the police teams did and accomplished- especially the investigation team and the divers. In that respect, it tops any documentary on the case so far. Secondly, it gives a palpable sense of how tough and exacting their tasks were. On one hand, there were the circumstances, and the forces of nature to deal with. On the other, there were the rigorous standards of Denmark’s legal system. It paints a vivid picture of the toll that all of this took on those involved, and on Wall’s family, and pays tribute to their perseverance. Then there is the way that the narrative has been shaped. One reviewer described it as “something of a benchmark for how true-life crime adaptations should be” while another reviewer called it “the next evolution of true crime”. To quote the director, though, it is not a ‘true crime’ drama- rather, it is a ‘true investigation’ drama.
Here’s a link to the trailer.
Eteros ego (2016)
MOVIE REVIEW
Also known as ‘The Other Me’, this Greek movie is a character study intertwined with a murder mystery. It centres on a socially-challenged professor of criminology who is roped in by the police to help solve a series of murders. While the resolution of the murders is what largely drives the narrative, the movie’s primary focus is on the professor. Personal circumstances have led him to suffer a crisis of faith. He ends up seeing the investigation as an opportunity to introspect.
My quick take: it is a gently-paced, beautifully-crafted movie with a sterling central performance. I found it riveting.
In Greece, the movie was widely applauded, and has spawned a couple of mini-series. However, outside Greece, it appears to be little known, even among critics.
The movie can be freely viewed on YouTube. Here’s the link.
Norway responds
A short selection of witty responses to the recent ‘No Way, Norway’ campaign from General Motors.
The Norway Prime Minister responded to Will Ferrell’s pizza prank with this tweet:
Ford Norway retweeted that with a video of its Mustang Mach-Es delivering Domino’s pizza across Norway.
Audi Norway came up with counter-ads featuring Game of Thrones star, Kristoffer Hivju.
Norway Tourism put out this welcome ad which includes a geography lesson for Ferrell.
University of Agder in Southern Norway released this tongue-in-cheek apology.
RIP Christopher Plummer
So many wonderful movies, so many memorable scenes. Yet nothing quite like watching the man exude his wit and charm, off-screen.
His 2012 Oscar acceptance speech: link.
No Way, Norway
Will Ferrell does what he does best- he goes bonkers in this new commercial from General Motors.
On a separate note, regarding the slogan in the title- it seems as if it has become a convenient choice for anyone who has a bone to pick with Norway. For previous examples of its usage, see this and this.
A Man and his Hand
From Norway: a surreal ad that pitches sex toys to single males using, what I am tempted to describe as, heavy-handed symbolism.
An Extraordinary Apology
As tendered by a former QAnon believer to CNN’s Anderson Cooper:
I apologize for thinking you ate babies.
Hyperlink Gaffe
Pic of a newspaper, posted on Reddit:
For the record, in the digital version of the paper, the hyperlinks don’t serve any purpose either, as they are part of an image reproduced from elsewhere.