Another Nike athelete? Coincidence?

I think Nike's at it again. This time, the fuss is over Roger Federer's wizardry. The clip creating all the hoo-ha was supposedly shot behind the scenes at a Gillette shoot. Here's the clip:

Now, there is no official word from Roger or any of his sponsors on whether what he did was real or not but for those of you who have not seen the other clips featuring Nike athletes that had audiences guessing its authenticity, here they are:

What's even more amazing is that the first day of polling done by the Sydney Morning Herald (link here) shows 68% of the 6780 respondents believing that it's real! The result really surprised me. Maybe they were all impressionable kids.

There is no doubting that Nike (if it was them) is a marketing genius. I have to admit that when I saw the Kobe clip when it went viral, it got me thinking if he'd really done it. However, coincidently, Nike later collaborated with Aston Martin to release limited edition pairs of Kobe's signature shoes. They have created heroes out of the elite atheletes that they endorse. A lot of their ads do provide inspiration (I have some of the older Michael Jordan and Lance Armstrong ads saved on my computer to provide me with that pick-me-up when I needed one) but do we sometimes exaggerate the capabilities of some of these athletes in our heads? As Tiger, Kobe and even Jordan have shown us, they are human and just as susceptible to desires and failures like any one of us. I think it's important to remember that. As far as their talent is concerned , whoever's doing it is really pushing into Hollywood's territory of make believe with the twist being instead of actors, they're using real athletes. AWESOME!

I'll take two please...

Behold the Rafael Nadal x Richard Mille RM027 Tourbillon.

Now, I like watches and I like watching Rafa play. So, naturally when Richard Mille came up with a collaboration with Rafa I was like, 'Sweeeeeet! Where do I buy one?', but for a whopping US$525,000, my butt hole's spider sense started tingling furiously as if a large cylindrical object was approaching it. Yes, it was the fear of being pummelled up the ol' sewer pipe.

Ok, lets give the watch the benefit of doubt. Besides being limited to 50 pieces, what else is there? Here's the blurb:

The weight equivalent of 20 paper clips!

"Weighing under 20 grams (13g without strap), the incredibly light RM 027 has a carbon-composite case, and the manual-wind movement – itself weighing just under 4 g — is constructed titanium and LITAL ®, lithium alloy containing aluminum, copper, magnesium, zirconium. Power reserve is 48 hours. Lithium alloy is also used in many aircraft parts such as the A380, helicopters, missiles, satellites or even Formula 1 and offers extreme performance attributes. The back bezel and caseband are monobloc to ensure total lightness. The glass; the bezel and the flange in carbon have remarkable properties of stiffness and torsional rigidity."

Hmmm...ok. No diamonds, no gold, no sapphires, no rubies, just a bunch of high grade metals. So, let's say you're playing a high stakes poker game with a bunch of roughies and you're down half a mil with no cash to pay. I think you'd better pray that these guys are illegal weapons manufacturers and have a good sense of humour when you start your sales pitch.

Almost makes the Kobe Bryant x Nubeo below look cheap at US$25,000 a pop.


Ok, ok, I know I sound like a sour puss but credit must be given when credit is due. I love the watch! It's simply a work of art.

Source: perpetuelle

The week that was.

Crazy dust storm has got us thinking that the end was nigh this week. Turned everything orange. Even in the middle of the day!






The Sydney Harbour Bridge Fun Run.

WTF! #6

KOTA BARU: Muslims wearing the serban (turban) instead of crash helmets will not be booked until the Kelantan traffic police untangle a confusion over the interpretation of the related traffic regulation.

State police chief Senior Asst Commissioner (I) Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi said he had ordered a stop to the issuance of summonses pending a directive from Bukit Aman and possibly the Attorney-General.

He has referred the matter to Bukit Aman’s legal division to study the interpretation of serban in the current traffic ordinance.

SAC Abdul Rahim said this after handing over 102 Proton Waja vehicles to investigating officers from the narcotics, crime, commercial crime and traffic police departments.

He said the exemption was only for motorcyclists wearing the traditional serban and not other forms of headgear.

“Those wearing other than the strict version of serban will be booked,” he said.

In Ipoh, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said there should be no exceptions to the law.

Exempting those with serban from being summoned, he said, would give rise to others using it as an excuse not to wear helmets.

The confusion arose on Tuesday after Pasir Tumboh religious school student Ahmad Nasir Darus, 27, challenged a traffic summons issued for not wearing a crash helmet on Sept 20 last year in the magistrate's court.

His counsel Ahmad Rizal Effende Zainol cited a clause stating exemptions accorded to motorcyclists which covers those who are classified as “Haji, Hajjah, Lebai and Singh.”

Ahmad Rizal argued that motorcyclists wearing serban could be described as lebai (pious man). Souce:http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/6/26/nation/21657997&sec=nation

Didn't know that the matter was even debatable. They must think that 'pious men' are immortals.

WTF #5

Ok, I understand that signing supermodels as the face of a label is so last millennium and that it's all about movie stars nowadays with the likes of John Travolta for Breitling, Nicole Kidman for Chanel and Jessica Alba for Revlon but how the hell does a politician fit into the scheme of things?

I applaud Louis Vuitton for signing the gorgeous, curvaceous, voluptuous and not to mention, delicious Scarlett Johansson as a spokesperson for their brand but Mikhail Gorbachev? Gorby?

You better believe it.



Seeing that we're being fruity here, Adidas' 'Impossible is Nothing' ad campaign is one of my favourite but I still think they should have aired this one...



Classic...

WTF #4

I was browsing cyberspace for accommodation in Japan and came across the Dotonbori Hotel.

I'm not very fussy about Japanese Hotels because they're usually quite clean. The only things that matter to me is the size of the room and if there's a tv included. I've seen some rooms so small that it's called a closet in some countries.

So, they have a twin room with a pillar...


Here's the description:

Due to the building structure of the hotel,there is a pillar between the beds! We offer you this reasonable price to make up for the pillar. Perfect for businessmen who have to travel with your boss, or for couples who are quarrelling. Of course, it’s also for those who are attracted to the low price.

They also have a 'semi double room'...


Here's the marketing pitch...

Ideal for the active couple. Reasonal price.Both of you will feel comfortable in this room.

I like a hotel with a sense of humour. Now, let's see if they think it's funny when I check out with their tv set.