Government Sponsored Graffiti For Youths Too Young To Remember

Now this is an urban adventure in advertising, graffiti trying to reach youths who are too young to remember (or is that the advertising agency?). Simple message - don't choose a knife, choose life. Putting it on a pavement is the only redeeming feature about this campaign though as the fuller message (on the bus stop posters) shows a guy who had a job and a girlfriend (which might lead to a career and a family). So I guess the full message is choose life, choose a job, choose a career, choose a family, choose a fucking big television, don't choose something else (or a derivative ad campaign)...

Me and Ryan Gosling Out In London

Hello Ladies! Drive star and shortly The Ides Of March star Ryan Gosling (lookalike Andy Regent) and me are out on the town! He does a really good Middlesbrough accent ;)

Save The Environment - Get Your Milk In Plastic Bags!

I thought supermarkets were trying to reduce their plastic bag usage? Then it comes as a bit of a surprise that J Sainsbury are promoting milk in plastic bags! Oh yeah, imagine the mess and leaks and fun stomping in one..! How long will they last..?

Live In Edinburgh? Fly From Aberdeen To London For Business!

What a great idea easyJet has. Advertise their flights that may suit business travellers in Edinburgh. For example lots of people want to fly into London so it'll be really easy for them to get the flight from Aberdeen (ABZ) that gets in at 10.15. Now you may say 10.15 into Gatwick is hardly good for business travellers, but you have to remember that it'll take around four hours to get to Aberdeen from Edinburgh on a good day...

Tesco Wishes It Could Be Christmas Everyday

This is wrong. Just like the Easter Eggs in Costco I saw on Boxing Day, Christmas Gifts over a month before Hallowe'en is wrong! On the other hand, where are the seasonal pretzels..?

On Your Marks for the Singaporean F1 Grand Prix

Behold, the start-finish line for the Singaporean F1GP! If you look closely in my shades, you'll notice that the eagle-eyed photographer (or should that be owl-eyed?) managed to catch the reflection of the line in them!  FWIW it was approaching 40°C that day, no wonder the have the race at night!

Laser Eye Surgery Gives You Laser Vision?

What exactly are Optical Express suggesting in their hyperbolic advert? Over 99% of our patients achieved 20/20 vision *or better* ...! I've got perfect vision but I'd go in for the surgery if it gave me superior vision! X-ray vision? Laser beams? Permanent beer goggles?! I need to know...

Marketing GOLD - It's All Lies!

Is there anything more I need to say, other than appreciate the brilliance of this marketing campaign for Kellog's Squares. "Buy Two - Get A Free Boat. It's all lies - they're not even square!". Absolute GOLD!

It's Over For Another 339 Days - The Best Of EdFringe

Phew, 60 shows and I'm spent!  Now a quick recap of what you may have missed during the Edinburgh Comedy Festival (well, Fringe) 2011.  Two shows managed to achieve perfection, 10/10 or a ranking-busting 6 stars, and they were The Pajama Men with The Road To No One and Adam Riches with Bring Me The Head Of Adam Riches (winner of the main Foster's Comedy Award). It was simply an honour to witness these acts of pure greatness.

Next up at the 9/10 or a full conventional 5 stars mark were Glenn Wool - No Man's Land; Sam Simmons - Meanwhile; and Idiots Of Ants - Model Citizens.  Honourable mentions go out to the higher 8/10s (traditional 4 stars) Nick Helm - Dare To Dream; Sammy J - Potentially; Randy (Heath McIvor) - Randy Is Sober; and Bridget Christie - Housewife Surrealist.  Those are my top 15%, feel free to share yours...

The Best Venue At The Fringe Is The Pleasance Upstairs

What a venue! It's on top of a busy kitchen and on warm days it is punnishingly hot. So why is it the Best Venue at the Edinburgh Fringe? Well it hosts both the Best Comedy Show winner Adam Riches *and* Best Newcomer winner Humphrey Ker (plus other Best Newcomer nominee Hannibal Buress). Usually this venue hosts a Best Show nominee, last year it was Greg Davies, but both winners in he same venue?! Maybe they could afford to put in some AC for next year...