Asking China to “get the f-out”

On Monday, soon after the Philippines officially protested China’s intrusion in its territorial waters, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Teddy Locsin Jr., took to Twitter with a more direct, and unusual message for China:

China, my friend, how politely can I put it? Let me see… O…GET THE F*** OUT. What are you doing to our friendship? You. Not us. We’re trying. You. You’re like an ugly oaf forcing your attentions on a handsome guy who wants to be a friend; not to father a Chinese province.

KFC’s search for a slogan

Thanks to the pandemic, last year, KFC was forced to temporarily suspend its ‘finger lickin’ good’ slogan. Last week, KFC UK and Ireland decided to use its absence to engage with customers in a fun way.  So it was that it put out this tweet:

It led to hundreds of responses of diverse merit, that included some from well-known brands, willing to offer their own slogans.  Here’s a particularly notable exchange with laundry detergent brand, Persil.

An Extraordinary Apology

As tendered by a former QAnon believer to CNN’s Anderson Cooper:

I apologize for thinking you ate babies.

Reimbursable Body Armour

In the wake of what happened in Washington D.C., there has been a lot of talk of US lawmakers wearing body armour/ bulletproof vests to work.  What I found especially notable was the additional emphasis on these being “reimbursable” expenses.

From a report in The New York Times:

In a memo that circulated on Monday, lawmakers were reminded that the purchase of a bulletproof vest was a reimbursable expense, as was security training.

And this is what Congressman Peter Meijer said to MSNBC:

Many of us are altering our routines, working to get body armor, which is a reimbursable purchase that we can make.

A Playfully Scary Pitch for Pet Insurance

Pet insurance firm, Waggel, likes to describe itself as the “outlaw” of the industry: out to make the things simple and enjoyable.  It seems that for its first TV commercial, it was looking for a way to express that idea.  The result is an advert that is a light-hearted take on scary movies with references to Psycho and The Shining.  Here’s a link.

Turkish Govt. Travel Advisory

I can’t help noting the irony and the opportunism in this press release in response to “developments in the USA”:

We advise Turkish citizens in the U.S. to avoid crowded areas and places where protests are taking place.

The Isolated Cinema

Scandinavia’s biggest film festival is taking social distancing and remote viewing to an interesting extreme this year.  While the festival screenings will all be online, there are some notable alternatives.  Two iconic venues will be holding exclusive single-person screenings, for which one can apply on the festival website.  But the ultimate offer is for The Isolated Cinema, set up on an inaccessible island. 

From the website:

The Isolated Cinema on the island of Pater Noster is inaccessibly located at the very edge of the archipelago in one of Sweden’s most barren, windswept locations. One solitary film enthusiast will experience total isolation from the outside world. No phone, no family, no friends. Just you, the sea and the festival’s film programme with 60 film premieres. For seven days.

For seven days you will spend your time alone on the island where you will be given full access to the entire film programme at Göteborg Film Festival 2021. You will get supplies for seven days and be transported by boat to and from the island. But once there, it’s just you. And the films. During your stay, you’ll be able to talk about your experience in a video diary that the outside world can follow.

Here’s a link to the promotional video.

A New Year’s Tail

From Denmark: a 10 hour long feature film for dogs, intended to calm them during the New Year’s Eve fireworks.  Here’s a link to the concept video.

A Christmas food shopping adventure

This is a personal story from a former employee of Marks & Spencer, who shared it on Twitter, a few days ago.  It is heartwarming, hilarious, and wonderfully told.  Here’s the link.

Alternative link

The Girls Have Spoken

This US political ad stands out, among other things, for putting to rhythm one of the most extraordinary descriptions of Trump ever:

…a crotch-grabbing goblin, hugging power from his golden shower tower and resort.

Sound the Excuse

It’s pitched as “a genius way out of Zoom hell”:  a collection of sound clips that give you an excuse to break away from a video call.  You can pick from a range of sounds that include that of a doorbell ringing, a baby crying, a dodgy tummy, kids arguing, and a car alarm.  If you’re looking for something more offbeat, you could consider the sound of a stampede, a helicopter landing, or a wasp invasion.

It’s an initiative from the support network, The Book of Man, and the idea is to help fight the stress that comes with endless video conferencing: the so-called “Zoom burnout”.  As they put it, “no one should have to make excuses for their mental health”.

Here’s a link to the campaign video.

Adidas- The ZXience Network

You may need to brace yourself for this.  Adidas has released a 12 hour video to promote a shoe.  Yes, 12 hours.  The shoe in question- ZX 2K BOOST- has been labelled as “an experiment in feeling”.  The promotional video- dubbed ‘The ZXience Network’- is a collection of streams/ clips that include slow motion hydraulic press videos, liquid nitrogen experiments, 3D animation and more.  This is how Adidas describes it:

We explore the weird world of "oddly satisfying" with a stream of things that feel too good to explain, the ZXience Network turns the experience of wearing sneakers into shows that mesmerize the senses. Celebrating and showcasing our most satisfying shoe yet, the ZX 2K BOOST, this mixture of creations from artists and experts is made to mesmerize. Sit back and sink into a stream of squish.

Here’s a link to a sampling of the streams that make up the video.

Here’s a link to the complete video.

Samsung- Freshly Laundered

Make of it what you will.  This is a commercial for a washing machine that also promotes a perfume.

It seems that a Samsung survey of British adults concluded that their favourite aroma is that of fresh laundry (followed by clean bedsheets, cakes baking in the oven, the seaside air and freshly cut grass).  Keeping that in mind, alongside the launch of its latest “ecobubble” washing machines, Samsung has also launched a fragrance.  It’s a “crisp, fresh scent that captures the essence of freshly washed laundry” in a bottle that is an exact replica of the washing machine.

And if that was not odd enough, it roped in gymnast Max Whitlock to philosophize over life and laundry (apparently, a homage to the Brad Pitt ads for Chanel) and also demonstrate how the washing machine might serve as a pommel horse.

Alternative link

The Good Bits

From the description on the website:

Impassioned words for passionate sex.

The Good Bits is run by women, for women… and anyone else who cares to join.

We are diverse, sex-positive, and anti-shame. We curate female-friendly erotic stories and sex positive writings, as well as supporting you to inspire your desire through courses and professional advice. And our new erotic podcast brings sexy to your ears. Because we believe in inspiration beyond porn—and we know your imagination is key to sensual, passionate sex.

And we believe that good sex stories make a better sex life.

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.

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

Republicans Vs. Trump

I don’t follow US politics closely but from the little that I understand, it should be rare to come across a strong anti-Trump campaign from people of his own party.  Yet that seems to be the agenda of a group of Republicans who have banded together to form what they call The Lincoln Project.  Here’s a short selection of videos that they’ve put out against Trump and his supporters.

War Zone: no-holds-barred, anti-Trump.

Rich Mitch: a slap in the face of Senate Majority leader, Mitch McConnell.

Fox and Fiends: highlights of the conservative media’s dubious coverage of COVID-19.

Aussie Democracy

A video of an Australian homeowner matter-of-factly requesting Prime Minister Scott Morrison to step off his lawn because it had just been seeded, and the PM cheerfully complying.

Hope Tape

An extraordinary campaign to help find long-term missing children in South Korea. 

Here’s a link to the campaign video.

Clarins- Naturally Moist Hands

To say that this is an unusual way to promote a hand cream is a colossal understatement.  This commercial is not for everyone, certainly not for someone with a fear of heights. 

In case you wonder, it features no CGI: everything that you see is live action (shot before the lockdown), performed by a single person.  As the agency behind this puts it:

You’ve probably heard expression ‘crazy Russian’ before, so, he is a good example of that. He does this kind of stuff for fun and sticks it to his Instagram. We got in touch with him and asked for his support.