Maybe the best thing I listened to all year

Slate - Colbert on how he works

Tagline fail - It's not emotional or rational, it's emorational

Groan.

Your child needs a new schoolbag for the 'back to school' season? Look no further than this aptly named retail store

This week's historical brand association overreach - the Adidas 25th anniversary fall of the Berlin wall running sneaker

Seriously?

Clearly there's no advertising standards authority here...

Ponds has come a long way since the Ponds institute.

The Spikes finally SCAM free for the first year. D.O. would be proud.

Absolutely NO sign of scam at the Spikes this year with print finalists from some of the region's most respected and high profile clients, such as

- FRIENDS OF NATURE, Shanghai - Anti-disposable chopstick campaign

- TOUCH CYBER WELLNESS, Singapore - campaign to make people Cyber-better I presume!

- MR ZHAO PESTICIDES, Shanghai - some of China's finest pesticides!

- 3M's PET HAIR ROLLER, Shanghai - an innovative first, targeting animals directly through print

- TAIWAN UFOLOGY SOCIETY, Shanghai - they are trying to use advertising to make contact with extra-terrestrial life I'm guessing

- WORLD SURPRISE TRAVEL AGENCY, Thailand - I'm hoping the surprise is that there is no surprise!

- And awards perennial and huge advertiser PENGUIN BOOKS is back again with a big campaign for its audio books in China. 

- THE INDIAN DEBATING UNION, Shanghai - apparently the pitch for this took 2yrs as they couldn't decide which agency they liked best.

And my favorite

- FRIENDS OF THE ASIAN ELEPHANT, Thailand - a campaign giving a big FU to the African Elephant I presume!

Good to see the stationary/writing implement category is booming with campaigns from all the big boys

- STAETDLER PENCILS, Hong Kong, 
- STABILO HIGHLIGHTERS, Hong Kong
- A.W. FABER-CASTELL, Hong Kong. 

Clearly the wooden writing & highlighter implement market in HK is very competitive these days.

And, of course, the Guinness ad that ran once in IS magazine, because Singapore's a small country and you only really need to run an ad once as a result.

Well done to our industry for punching ourselves in the balls once again!

Twelve Months A Thief

Once this whole ordeal is over, and I'm free to tell all, I'll entertain you with the real story of what's been going on with our little private equity dabble for the last year or so. It involves any number of authorities, legal bodies, law enforcement and much much more. I've given my first police statement, spoken to a senior advisor to the Prince of Wales, I've frozen bank accounts and generally been a massive dog with a bone. I thought, mainly for my own edification and entertainment, I'd write a few things I have learned in the hope that it helps people not fall into the same trap that me and Adrey did.


1. No matter what, get it in writing.
2. Use a lawyer EARLY; it's a whole lot cheaper than using one LATE!
3. In the words of President Reagan "Trust, but verify"
4. Don't be distracted by the shiny object; treat all things with equal skepticism
5. Never underestimate people or what they're capable of
6. As my Dad used to say "Never a borrower nor a lender be"
7. It's as old as time, but seriously, don't go into business with friends
8. Blood is thicker than water, but it turns out that money is a whole lot thicker!
9. Time does not really heal, it just numbs the pain!
10. Life really is uncertain and can change in the blink of an eye
11. Get a good accountant and a good lawyer
13. Befriend a powerful mason
14. In the attempted words of George W Bush "Fool me once, shame on ... shame on you. Fool me... You can't get fooled again!"
15. Revenge is a dish best served by a legal representative of the court!