Global marketers such as Nike are describing the 2010 FIFA World Cup as a larger event than even the 2008 Beijing Olympics. That scale, combined with the intensity of interest in the sport, the national pride of fans and the fact that it’s the first major global sporting event ever held on the African continent…figures to sell a lot of sneakers.
FIFA sponsors…a group to which Nike doesn’t belong, by the way…spend up to $40 million for the privilege.
“It’s the No. 1 event in all of sports,” Trevor Edwards, Nike’s VP-brand and category management, recently told the company’s investors, adding that the World Cup will be viewed by “half the world’s population.”
All I can say about this three-minute epic by Nike…is holy shit!
Here is a clip from a surf trip with two buddies last weekend. If you are a non surfer to truly appreciate this epic day you have to imagine your favorite activity, good friends, excellent weather at a world class location.
For some that will be playing cricket for the Fenders in the suburbs, for others it will be burning a hole in a credit card in Cashel mall.
When I lived in the United Kingdom back in 1995 this tv commercial for Guinness was screening in the U.K and Ireland. It took the drinking public by storm. I remember the catchy “da-na-na” sound track being played in numerous pubs (often at closing time at 11pm) and witnessing many happy punters attempting to do the dance. This commercial had huge cut-thru. It had no voice-over and a single-minded focus.
The actor performing the dance is Dubliner Joe McKinney. He shot to fame rapidly with this exposure and in the end left Ireland for New York. He told Ireland’s Independent newspaper at the time “I’m not knocking it, it’s a great country, but there was only so much I could take. There’s a million people in Dublin and they all say ‘Da-na-na’ once (usually behind my back at a distance), and there’s only one of me, so that’s a million times and it’s a f—ing headwreck.”
The first season of TimeZoneOne’s Got 80′s Talent debuted without too much hype in Auckland last week.
The show seeks to re-discover the best talent from the 80′s through a series of musical auditions. The format features four judges (all travelled to Auckland) who give critiques of the contestants’ performances.
Judge Nigel Foley stirred up quite a bit controversy during one performance obviously frustrated by Kylie Minogue’sLocomotion, Foley took to the stage to show how it should be done. Foley then commented on the fact he “had seen better performances during a Fitzroy Football Club party with other Neighbours cast members”.
Something a bit lighthearted for Friday. Here are a couple of pictures of the inspiration for my wedding dress:
It was worn by Carly O’Brien of Gloucester when she married in 2006. Weighing in at 425 pounds, it had 30 layers of material and 30,000 Swarovski crystals. Who wouldn’t want a dress that was heavier than they were?
Some interesting and little known facts about weddings:
The tradition of wearing wedding rings on the third finger has two sources: one started back in ancient times when it was believed that the third finger had a nerve that ran straight to the heart; the second is metaphorical, while every other finger can be extended to its full length and straightness alone, the ring finger can only be fully extended in the company of an adjacent finger.
Groomsmen were basically henchmen. Originally made part of the wedding party by the groom in order to keep too many uninvited people from joining in the celebration and the wedding party getting big, rowdy and uncontrollable. Today, they are simply symbolic.
In Christian ceremonies the bride stands on the grooms left. This was started when it may have been necessary for the groom to reach for his sword with his right hand in order to keep someone from riding up and stealing his bride during the wedding.
A number of cultures adopt the western custom of a bride wearing a white dress. This tradition came to symbolize purity in the Victorian era (despite popular misconception, the white dress did not indicate virginity, which was symbolized by the face veil). Within the ‘white wedding’ tradition, a white dress and veil would not have been considered appropriate for a second or third wedding of a widow or a divorcee.
 And finally, a funny twist to the traditional wedding dance:
Its winter over here in NZ, and what a winter it has been. Canterbury has been the place to be! With fresh snow dropping weekly, most little canterbury clubbies boasting triple the amount of snow than the Queenstown massive.
Right up there on my inspirational hero’s list, along with “Kevin Bacon” is “Frank Bare “, who in 1983 completed the first quadruple tiple twisting backflip on skis. Truly inspiring, he doesnt muck around, and nails it on his first attempt.
Make sure you check out his trademark “goggle pump” and pre jump ninja moves. I often immitate these stretches in front of my computer each morning before creating amazing graphics.
Interesting facts currently quad flips are not legal in competition and a great event we all miss is Ski Ballet , its no longer a part of competitive freestyle skiing, (I wish it still was) but was conducted from the late-1960s until the mid-1990s. Ballet involved a choreographed routine of flips, rolls, leg crossings, jumps, and spins performed on a smooth slope. After the mid-1970s the routine was performed to music for 90 seconds.
If you are feeling the chilly winter fingers ravaging you, Simon has just informed me of a good supply of “under one’zies ” (complete with comfort flap) to keep you toasty.
So Zoner of the week must go to Richo “Duckles” McDonald and Zoner by association Lori McDonald – for taking the plunge and more importantly – for putting on a damn fine shindig for their mates! Lori and Richo are currently sunning it up on honeymoon in Mexico – so he can’t stop me posting the attached photo. Lori and Richard started off their union in perfect style (as the photo shows) but just remember all marriages are happy; it’s the living together afterward that causes all the problems. (Just jokes – congratulations again!)
