‘A very New York experience’

An excerpt from a New York Post profile piece of Suzanne Reisman, leader of the Garbage & Rats in NYC walking tour.

Clad in fuzzy, faux rat ears like a bizarro Mouseketeer, the varmint savant takes guests through some of the city’s most rat-infested sites while spilling retch-worthy facts on the critters’ habits, à la a sanitation history lesson meets an urban wildlife safari.

“Rats love to go up to the poop!” she enthused to entranced rodent tourists during a recent tour as she discussed the delicacy of canine excrement.

“They’ll kick through it, find the undigested kibble,” she explained to the curious crowd. “I mean, dog poop is disgusting, but anyway, I do not ever pass by dog poop anymore without thinking, ‘Oh, it’s a rat snack.’”

The piece also quoted a “rat tourist” from Boston who attended a tour:

We saw live rats. We saw a pancake [squashed flat] rat. We saw a guy throwing up in a gutter. It was a very New York experience overall that my kids don’t get to always see in the Massachusetts suburbs.

Car Cowboy

From France: a new spot for auto repair network Motrio finds unexpected inspiration in classic Westerns.

Link to video

Calls for Scotland-wide ‘seagull summit’

To quote from a Sky News report:

Politicians have called for a Scotland-wide seagull summit to be held amid warnings someone could be killed.

Former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross told the nation's parliament during a debate on the issue that people risk losing their lives over the "growing problem" of "nuisance" gulls.

Scots are being left "scared, attacked and traumatised", fellow Tory Rachael Hamilton said as she called for a nationwide summit.

Ms Hamilton said "aggressive" seagulls had attacked seven children in one month last year in Eyemouth, leaving one girl "with gashes to her scalp and blood running down her face".

Agriculture minister Jim Fairlie had already promised to hold a seagull summit in the north of Scotland, but Ms Hamilton, who represents the south of Scotland, said a summit for the whole nation is necessary.

Take your finances ‘by the horns’

For a long time, investment was only for pros. Now, everyone can ride the investment bull... 

From Switzerland: bull references and visuals are at the centre of a new campaign for online financial services group Swissquote.

Link to video

‘Sounds like he was a good guy’

A social media post on American singer and 1960s teen idol Bobby Sherman, soon after the news of his passing was reported:

Sad to read that #BobbySherman has passed away. He was my 1st TV star boyfriend & I still loved him even though he had the nerve to get married to someone other than me. I was 13...but he could have waited.☺️ Sounds like he was a good guy. Condolences to his family & fans. #RIP..more

As an aside, his first wife divorced him to marry his TV bro David Soul. For the record, I would have never left him for David Soul.

‘Watering’ the weeds

An excerpt from another amusing social media post by the Polk County Sheriff’s office (PCSO) in Florida, of a recent arrest:

The PCSO night shift was just underway, and nobody ever knows what the night holds for them. Especially when there’s a full moon. IYKYK.

Deputy Ford was on patrol in Lakeland near Ariana Street and Plateau Avenue.

That’s when he saw Doug… a man on the go. Or rather, a man who really had to go.

Doug was on the road, watering the weeds without a watering can. His pants were half-down. Unless you’re more of an optimist, then his pants were half-up.

Doug saw Deputy Ford, and Deputy Ford saw more of Doug than he cared to see.

PS: Alongside the report, there’s a comic book style illustration of the crime scene that’s worth checking out

Proudly Tested On ‘Animals’

From Australia: a campaign for furniture brand Koala.

Links to videos:

   -Fussy Flamingos
   -Hibernating Bears

Man breaks into house… to avoid facing wife at home

The incident aside, it is the little details of what happened, as well as the manner in which it was reported by the Polk County Sheriff’s office (PCSO) in Florida, that make it very noteworthy:

The following story is kind of like a Polk County version of “Goldilocks and the 3 Bears,” but since there aren’t too many bears in Polk County, we’re just going to work around that in our own way. So, bear with us.

Our story begins at a residence bearing north of the city of Davenport.

The homeowner wasn’t going to be around for a while, so he asked his neighbor to bear the responsibility of watching over the house. That neighbor did a fantastic job too.

One night, the neighbor saw lights going on and off within the house, so he called the homeowner, who in turn contacted the PCSO.

Do you think the deputies found someone inside the house? Well, does a bear sit in the woods?

Deputies went to the residence and found Joe inside, cooking, and he had just finished filling the tub for a bath. We assume the bath temperature was not too hot, nor too cold, but juuuuust right.

Joe identified himself, and admitted that not only did he not have permission to be there, he also had no idea who owned the house.

Joe told deputies that he had gotten in a fight with his wife, and he didn’t want to go home, so he chose to burgle someone else’s home instead. It’s one of those things where you just have to grin and bear it.

There… we made it through the story and you barely even noticed the lack of bears.

Wimbledon spirit

A playful campaign from Sipsmith, the Official Gin Sponsor of Wimbledon.

Links to videos:

   -Anywhere
   -Umpire
   -Winning serve

Alligator Alcatraz

A proposal mooted by the Florida Attorney General for a detention facility in the middle of the Everglades:

Alligator Alcatraz: the one-stop shop to carry out President Trump’s mass deportation agenda.

And this from the video explainer:

People get out, there's not much waiting for them other than alligators and pythons. Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide.

Link to video

Canva pokes fun at design mistakes

From an outdoor campaign in London:

Liquid Death offers Ozzy Osbourne’s DNA… in a can

To quote the brand:

Yes, we really got the Prince of Darkness to drink from 10 cans of our low-calorie Iced Tea. And yes, he actually crushed each can himself. In the process, he left behind trace DNA from his saliva that you can now own. He even hand-signed each packaging label.

Now, when technology and federal law permits, you’ll be able to replicate Ozzy Osbourne and enjoy him for hundreds of years into the future.

It seems that the 10 cans, available at $450 apiece, were promptly sold out.

Link to promotion video

Choose play – every day

A heartwarming campaign from UNICEF to spotlight “the global play deficit”.

Link to video

Channel 4 issues a public apology… sort of

In a new spot, fronted by newsreader, Phil Gayle, the broadcaster offers its singular take on DEI.

Link to video

Wes Anderson designs a Montblanc pen

As announced on Instagram:

Designed by academy award-winning filmmaker Wes Anderson, The “SCHREIBERLING,” or for the linguistically unadventurous, “The Scribbler,” has finally arrived!

And this from the product page:

Angular, symmetrical, intricately designed, Wes Anderson films are known for their exquisite style and panache. He is an expert in rendering invented worlds a little more beautiful and satisfying than reality. Yet in terms of artistic ambition, Wes Anderson’s productions go far beyond the purely visual. Beneath the harmonious surfaces lie finely spun tales that grapple with the complexity of human existence: the search for identity, dealing with missed opportunities, questions of integrity and friendship. For Montblanc, Wes Anderson has designed The “SCHREIBERLING” – the “scribbler” – continuing the Montblanc Heritage Collection Rouge et Noir “Baby”, inspired by the legendary “baby” pens of the 1910s and 1920s, the smallest writing instruments of their time. The “SCHREIBERLING” is crafted as a limited edition of just 1,969 pieces to mark the filmmaker’s year of birth. The set includes a fountain pen, a notebook, ink cartridges (green) and a ruler.

Make AI worried

From an outdoor campaign for The Economist:

RIP Harris Yulin

Prolific bio writer Gary Brumburgh wrote this about him in his IMDb bio:

Another one of those frustratingly nameless but omnipresent and talented faces of stage, film and TV, chameleon-like player Harris Yulin avoided the severe stereotyping lost to many a prolific actor. Benign, balding and often bearded, Yulin off camera was a stark contrast to the tough, unsympathetic men he presented on camera.

He [was] the possessor of an intriguingly solemn, autocratic-looking mug, and his glowering intensity usually invites suspicion, scorn or skepticism... or all three.

He could always be counted on to play a maniacal genius or the embodiment of white-collar corruption in a career piled with genuinely unsympathetic characters.

Training Day (2001)
  - Peanut Butter

RIP Brian Wilson

Wouldn’t It Be Nice

Wouldn’t It Be Nice:  Behind The Sounds

RIP Sly Stone

Archive footage from Summer of Soul
  - Introduction
  - Higher

‘Offender with Scaly Intentions’

From an Instagram post, put out 3 days ago, by a local police department in North Carolina:

BREAKING: Onslow County Deputies Nab offender with "Scaly Intentions"

On Wednesday, May 28, 2025, deputies in Onslow County and officers with NC Wildlife Resources Commission wrangled this prehistoric perp off the pavement today after he was caught loitering near the double yellow line on Old 30 Road. Witnesses say he was just chilling and snapping, clearly ignoring the "no loitering or lounging on roadways" sign.

Pepe the Gator, 350-400 lbs, and almost 10 feet in length, has been cited for Suspicion of Being a Dinosaur Without Proper Papers, Public Loitering with Intent to Sunbathe, and Obstructing Traffic.

Deputies reported no injuries, unless you count his pride when the gator refused to be cuffed.

We’re told the gator has been safely relocated — and no, he didn’t get to ride shotgun.

Streamer Arrested for Wearing Underwear on Head

Excerpts from a report out of Japan:

A Japanese Kick streamer who goes by the name of Zokkunzokkun was arrested on suspicion of violating the prefectural nuisance prevention ordinance. His crime: running around a residential estate in Chiba Prefecture while wearing women’s underwear on his head.

Zokkunzokkun live streamed himself wandering the streets — sometimes running — with panties on his face that covered his nose and mouth. He was also wearing a white gym uniform and red bloomers.

Several viewers, who identified the location, contacted the police, leading to Zokkunzokkun’s arrest. Upon questioning, the Kick streamer admitted to the charge. He told officers he wanted to stir things up and increase the number of viewers on his site. He currently has just over 5,300 followers.

Powerful Sighs

A new spot for UK retailer Currys aimed at customers with accessibility needs, and loaded with the sort of humour that its campaigns are known for.

Link to video

‘Issue with rooster’ leads to schools lockdown

To be precise, it was “an ongoing issue with a well-known local rooster”.  To quote from a Facebook post on Thursday by a local police department in Wyoming:

This morning at approximately 6:18 a.m., the Albany County Sheriff’s Office responded to a disturbance in Rock River involving reports of shots fired. Out of an abundance of caution, Rock River Schools were placed on lockdown to ensure the safety of students and staff.

Upon investigation, it was discovered that the incident stemmed from an ongoing issue with a well-known local rooster that roams the area. The rooster had reportedly taken up residence under a camper trailer and had been loudly “cook-a-doodle-dooing” to the frustration of one resident. Fed up with the early morning wake-up calls, the individual in question allegedly attempted to silence the bird with a shotgun.

Thankfully, no one was injured—rooster included.

Deputies made contact with the individual and discovered he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest, which led to him being taken into custody.

We thank our deputies for their quick and professional response—and as for the rooster, he’s alive and still proudly announcing the sunrise.

Ice-T promotes ‘Ice Tea Insurance’

The rapper is fronting a campaign for Lipton Ice Tea aimed at consumers in the Netherlands and Belgium.  To quote from the press release:

The initiative stems from a revealing consumer insight. According to a recent YouGov study conducted in the Netherlands, 44 percent of consumers say they have been served a different beverage than expected when ordering out. The numbers are even more striking when it comes to iced tea: 81 percent of frequent iced tea drinkers say they automatically associate the term 'ice tea' with Lipton Ice Tea.

Despite Lipton Ice Tea's status as a category leader in Europe and a household name in the U.S., the brand recognized that mistaken drink orders were leaving some consumers disappointed. The 'Ice Tea Insurance' campaign aims to change that by allowing customers who receive the wrong brand of iced tea to submit a claim for a free Lipton Ice Tea.

The campaign is fronted by Ice-T, and it's not just because his name echoes the drink. He rose to fame as the 'Original Gangster' with his 1991 album and became a cultural icon across both music and film. With a legacy rooted in originality, Ice-T is now teaming up with Lipton Ice Tea, the brand that introduced iced tea to millions, to remind people that there is only one original.

Link to campaign video

Feels

The glorious wonder of the outdoors, captured in a mesmerising wordless montage for AllTrails.

Link to video

‘Duck Nabbed After Terrorizing Florida Community’

To quote from a news report:

A Florida community can breathe easy now that a local rogue known for stalking and attacking residents has been apprehended.

Jimmy, a Muscovy duck, was captured this week in the Cape Coral neighborhood he had held hostage by his acts of terror.

Prior to being caught, Jimmy had attacked multiple people, local news station Fox 4 Now reported earlier this month. Neighborhood resident James Sepulveda described sitting on his porch, “eyes closed,” when he suddenly “felt a jab” on his hand and realized Jimmy had bitten him and drawn blood.

In video footage from the news outlet, Sepulveda can be seen opening his door a crack to see Jimmy standing just outside. The man then says the duck is “waiting” for him.

Jimmy even chased Fox 4 reporter Bella Line while she attempted to report on his misdeeds.

‘So clean, you can kiss it’

Join the @bidetlity clean butt club now and get your own booty so clean, your fav person can kiss it

That’s from an Instagram post by portable bidet brand Bidetlity, for a recent outdoor campaign centred on a visual double entendre.

RIP Joe Don Baker

Charlie Varrick (1973)
  - Trailer torture

Edge of Darkness (1985)
  - Plutonium for self-respect
  - Time of the Preacher

Mads Mikkelsen, Mixologist

The actor reimagines the classic negroni in this spot for Campari.

Link to video