Andrew Garfield’s Train of Thought
The actor goes on a flight of fancy (or should that be ‘train’?) in a new spot for Sky TV.
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Finger Lickin’ Injury Claims
From Canada: KFC has a tongue-in-cheek offer around Moving Day. To quote:
If you injured your finger on Moving Day, you may be entitled to some free KFC*
*No harm to fingers necessary to participate.
‘The Holy Grail of All Sauces’
That’s how Heinz UK is describing its latest offering, Every Sauce: a limited-edition ‘super condiment’ that combines fourteen of its sauces. It appears to have been inspired by research that suggested, among other things, that 73% of Brits tend to mix their condiments, with 9% of them open to blending five or more.
Don’t snort it, don’t freebase it…
Ozzy Osbourne has some advice about what not to do with Liquid Death’s drink mix, Death Dust… the sort of advice that you don’t want to know how he came to acquire it.
Is it even a city?
From Norway: Irony abounds in a new promotional spot for Oslo that is all about reasons not to visit.
Museum hangs Picassos in Ladies Loo… in response to Court Ruling
From Australia: After a court ruled against the legality of a ladies-only lounge at Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), the museum has responded by shifting the artwork in that section to a ladies loo. To quote from an Instagram post by the curator:
A new exhibition at Mona. Just for ladies… We never had female toilets at Mona before, they were all unisex. But then the Ladies Lounge had to close thanks to a lawsuit brought on by a man. And I just didn’t know what to do with all those Picassos…
A Message to Canada
There are ways to make a point, and then there is this. To be clear, I am not part of the target audience for this campaign video. I can only assume that those who are, share the stance of the environmental group behind this video, and find it fitting to cheer on the bleeped-profanity-laced tirade from William Shatner.
Heineken’s ‘Beer Insurance’
To quote from the promotion website, it’s “the world’s first replacement plan for beer spilt during the football”. To elaborate, Heineken UK will be offering a free pint of beer against ‘claims’ for spilt beer on England matchdays at the Euros. The offer is valid for spills at select pubs across England. In addition, Heineken is giving away “beer resistant” ponchos.
Tasmania tempts tourists with 'odd jobs'
Australia’s island state has an offer for winter tourists: all-expenses-paid ‘odd jobs’. Its pitch: “A change is as good as a rest. Swap your day job for an odd job.”
A short selection of the jobs on offer:
Little Beach Co. needs a heat-lover to tend their wood-fired sauna and keep the flames fed.
Fans of history and mystery are wanted as the resident paranormal investigator at Willow Court, Australia’s oldest continually run asylum.
In the subterranean setting of Gunns Plains Caves, embark on a musical journey alongside local musician, Charlie. As Cave Conductor, you’ll collaborate with Charlie, who will perform musical interludes for tour groups.
Astronomy buffs gathering at Rathmore House require a Star Seeker to assist them with celestial observations, telescope fiddling, and astro-imaging.
RIP Donald Sutherland
A couple of performances that deserve a bit more of a mention than they get…
Little Murders (1971)
-Wedding Ceremony
Eye of the Needle (1981)
-‘Home Guards’ scene
‘Every gulp is… a declaration of independence’
From a promotion for American “anti-woke” water brand Freedom2o:
Let's show the world that every gulp is more than just hydration, it's a declaration of independence.
PS: At the top of the brand’s website is a ticker tape with supposedly pithy imperatives and assertions, one of which is this: ‘Water for Deplorables’.
The Shadow Expert
From Denmark: the Danish Cancer Society finds the ideal spokesperson to give sun protection advice.
Bear breaks into car… again
Excerpts from a news report out of Canada:
Car break-ins plague Canadians across the country, but instead of worrying about theft, a northern Ontario woman is cleaning up a big mess that she says will not be covered by insurance after a black bear broke into her Honda Civic and took a nap.
The adult bear has been causing havoc for Kayla Seward of Larder Lake, north of Temiskaming Shores near the Quebec border, since last year, she told CTVNewsNorthernOntario.ca.
“It’s done this before,” Seward said.
“We had a bear last year break through my car window, so the ministry (of Natural Resources and Forestry) trapped it and relocated it and it came back with revenge.”
The three- to four-year-old bear is confirmed to be the same bear from the previous year because of its tag, she said.
RIP Mark James
The man who wrote and “provided the blueprint” for the Elvis classic, Suspicious Minds.
My favourite lines:
Oh, let our love survive
I'll dry the tears from your eyes
Let's don't let a good thing die
When, honey, you know I have never lied to you
'Only elegant women allowed'
As reported by BBC:
A gym in South Korea has banned misbehaving "aunties", reigniting a debate about discrimination against older women in the country.
The gym in Incheon city near the capital Seoul put up a sign that read "off limits to ajummas" and "only cultivated and elegant women allowed".
Ajumma is a catch-all term for older women - typically late-30s onwards - but is also a pejorative for behaviour that is seen as rude or obnoxious.
Local reports did not name the gym or its owner, who defended the move, claiming that his company had "suffered damages" because of these women and their unruly behaviour.
“[Some older women customers] would spend an hour or two in the changing room to do their laundry, steal items including towels, soaps, or hair dryers,” he said in a televised interview with South Korean news agency Yonhap.
“They would sit in a row and comment and judge other people’s bodies,” he said, adding that some younger women have quit the gym because of these comments, which upset them or made them uncomfortable.
While the move was made by a single gym, it seems to have struck a nerve because in recent years, South Korean businesses have drawn flak for banning children or seniors from certain public places.
Sound Names
From Peru: an initiative by laundry care brand, Bolivar, to let babies pick their own names, so to speak. As explained in one report:
The idea arose as a response to a trend in Peru, where many parents choose to name their children after superheroes or characters taken from science fiction, comic books, movies, etc. Although this practice may seem fun and harmless, studies indicate that these unconventional names can harm the construction of children's personalities in the future, affecting their self-esteem and making them vulnerable to bullying later in life.
The campaign consists in turning name options into sounds, whereby each of the letters of the names are converted into a musical note. Each melody is designed to be easily recognisable to babies, who can begin to distinguish pleasant sounds from week 29 of gestation.
Infectious Intimacy Advice
Ahead of the finale of the current season of Bridgerton, sexual wellness brand, Pasante, and sexual health charity, Brook, have partnered to create a Regency-era-inspired PSA, for today’s times.
For the King’s eyes only
Australia-based furniture and mattress brand Koala has a history of tongue-in-cheek open letter campaigns, so to speak (see this one to lying politicians, and this to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex). This week it put out one to King Charles for his birthday— well, sort of.
Thank Goodness for Milk
From New Zealand: a new campaign from dairy brand Anchor to mark World Milk Day.
Nonsense, but nice
A mechanic from Wales, Dylan Phillips, 38, is in the news for setting a world record by powering his motorised wheelbarrow at a speed of 84 km/h (52 m/h). But it was what he had to say about it that really got my attention.
I’ve always just sort of built mad stuff. I ended up building the wheelbarrow for fun. In a little practice run, messing about, I got 37 mph and then the question got asked if there was a land speed record for it.
So it was just a case of finding out that the record existed and then deciding to actually do something with this idiotic thing that I’d built.
It’s uncomfortable and it’s terrifying. Slowing down is the issue - it's only got brakes at the front.
Touch wood I’ve not come off it or had any mishaps with it, it’s just uncomfortable. It does leave you aching after a couple of runs because it’s got no suspension and it just rattles you to bits.
I feel on top of the world. I mean it’s absolute nonsense really but it’s quite a nice feeling.
Everyone loves it – it’s so stupid. You can’t help but smile when you see it.
Voting is Hot AF
A campaign to encourage young people to get out and vote in the forthcoming general election in the U.K.. To quote one reviewer:
Saatchi & Saatchi commissioned a YouGov poll of 4,200 people to back up its central contention: that politically engaged people make more attractive partners. According to the poll, 40 per cent of Britons aged between 18-24 considered regular voters to be hotter. I double checked the results by commissioning my own poll of employees under 35. Did they think voting was “hot AF”? By a 10-1 margin, they do. However hot voting might be, though, it hasn’t stopped the youth vote plummeting.
ICC-Netanyahu Headline Mix-Up
From India: a headline on the website of leading national daily Hindustan Times that remained uncorrected more than 24 hours after being posted.
Blame it on the menu
From Australia: a series of spots for frozen meals brand On The Menu, intended to encourage Australians “to flip the bird to frozen-meal haters, eating unapologetically”.
Spot 1: Dentist
Spot 2: Dog show
Voice Messages as Voice Memories
From Sweden: Telenor is offering customers the option to download their voice messages as sound files, as a way to preserve voice memories of loved ones who have passed away. And for anyone who wonders about the wisdom of the idea, there’s extensive support material that addresses questions such as how much listening might be too much, and what should one do if listening makes one sad.
‘Brisket Bandit’
A local police department in Wisconsin has posted a video of a theft in progress, along with this message:
Have you seen this brisket bandit? Earlier this week a northside family was smoking a brisket overnight, when an unknown person caught the scent and swindled it while they slept. The suspect entered the victim's back yard, licked their fingers, and made a clean getaway with 12 pounds of smoked deliciousness. If you recognize this meat thief, please contact our non-emergency line or submit a tip to crimestoppers.
Rat-hating mayor ticketed for rat infestation… once again
That’s New York City mayor Eric Adams, who has made rodent mitigation a priority for his administration. For added context, excerpts from the reporting by AP News:
The ticket, first reported by the Daily News, was Adams’ fifth rodent violation since he became mayor in January 2022.
Adams, who now lives in Gracie Mansion, the official mayor’s residence, challenged the previous rat tickets he got at the Brooklyn property.
Three were dismissed, but the mayor paid $300 to settle the fourth. Adams told a hearing officer he had spent $7,000 on rat mitigation at the property.
Adams, a Democrat, frequently proclaims, “I hate rats!” and once tried to prove it by demonstrating a device that drowned them in a vat of caustic liquid.
He appointed the city’s first “rat czar” last year after posting a help-wanted ad seeking applicants who could commit to the “wholesale slaughter” of the pests.