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Twenty years after the Ferrero Rocher ad, who will spoil us now? Twenty years after the Ferrero Rocher ad, who will spoil us now?
(about 4 hours later)
In the past week, Italian choc giant Ferrero has rejected claims that if everyone stopped necking Nutella deforestation would stop and bought Thorntons for £112m. As the dust settles, one key question remains: what are the catering ramifications for the ambassador’s reception? In the past week, Italian choc giant Ferrero has rejected claims that if everyone stopped necking Nutella deforestation would stop and bought Thorntons for £112m. As the dust settles, one key question remains: what are the catering ramifications for the ambassador’s reception?
After all, between promoting the breakfast spread and using up stock from the shops, it’s unlikely Ferrero will once more spoil their guests in the manner to which they’re accustomed.Gone, surely, is the iconic pyramid of Rocher, squired by a white-gloved footman, its luxe-y crunchiness averting all manner of international incidents. In its place, perhaps, shot glasses of hot Nutella, garnished with tiny croutons, or a tier of slightly battered hollow santas, each featuring the ambassador’s name scrawled in white icing across their tums. After all, between promoting the breakfast spread and using up stock from the shops, it’s unlikely Ferrero will once more spoil their guests in the manner to which they’re accustomed.Gone, surely, is the iconic pyramid of Rocher, squired by a white-gloved footman, its luxy crunchiness averting all manner of international incidents. In its place, perhaps, shot glasses of hot Nutella, garnished with tiny croutons, or a tier of slightly battered hollow santas, each featuring the ambassador’s name scrawled in white icing across their tums.
Looking back at that classiest of ads now, one is struck less by the duty-free canapés and quarterback shoulder pads than the intense reverence accorded to the office of ambassador. Few titles have been quite so devalued over the last 20 years – the result, perhaps, of the term being co-opted by outfits as diverse as Unicef and Ralph Lauren, Campari and the London mayor’s office for street parties (incumbent ambassador: Barbara Windsor).Looking back at that classiest of ads now, one is struck less by the duty-free canapés and quarterback shoulder pads than the intense reverence accorded to the office of ambassador. Few titles have been quite so devalued over the last 20 years – the result, perhaps, of the term being co-opted by outfits as diverse as Unicef and Ralph Lauren, Campari and the London mayor’s office for street parties (incumbent ambassador: Barbara Windsor).
Over the last year alone, ambassadorial appointments include Selena Gomez (Pantene), Carol Vorderman (RAF air cadets), Daisy Lowe (London fashion week) and a dachshund called Rami (the Moultrie-Colquitt County Humane Society).Over the last year alone, ambassadorial appointments include Selena Gomez (Pantene), Carol Vorderman (RAF air cadets), Daisy Lowe (London fashion week) and a dachshund called Rami (the Moultrie-Colquitt County Humane Society).
These days, you can have multiple ambassadorships under your belt. Eva Mendes, for instance, is an ex-emissary for, among others, Cartier, Revlon, Thierry Mugler, Cocio chocolate milk, Reebok’s Easytone trainers and Calvin Klein’s Seductive Comfort lingerie. In 2009, she won one of the most coveted diplomatic positions: Magnum ice cream’s Global Pleasure Ambassador, whose remit involves liaising with the firm’s professor of pleasure, with whom she hosted a pleasure summit in Istanbul. Actual ambassadors, both male and female, can take some comfort in this. These days, you can have multiple ambassadorships under your belt. Eva Mendes, for instance, is an ex-emissary for, among others, Cartier, Revlon, Thierry Mugler, Cocio chocolate milk, Reebok’s Easytone trainers and Calvin Klein’s Seductive Comfort lingerie. In 2009, she won one of the most coveted diplomatic positions: Magnum ice cream’s Global Pleasure Ambassador, whose remit involves liaising with the firm’s professor of pleasure, with whom she hosted a pleasure summit in Istanbul. Actual ambassadors can take some comfort in this: at least academics have been degraded, too.
Country conundrumCountry conundrum
The new movie version of Far from the Madding Crowd went out of its way to be relevant to the modern audience, and on Monday, near Eastbourne, a dog brought things right up to date by worrying a sheep over the cliff to its death on the rocks below, just as Gabriel Oak’s beloved pup does at the start of Hardy’s novel. But then much was made of the film’s proximity to real life. On its UK release, you were invited to find out which of Bathsheba’s three suitors would best suit you – solid hottie Gabriel Oak, stuffy moneybags William Boldwood or Sergeant Troy, he of the drink problem and secret pregnant fiancee. The first question was fair enough – would your dream date be a country stroll – but by question eight, one sensed some scrabbling. What habit wouldn’t you mind, it asked: emotional reticence, over-indulgence or “being clingy and a bit suffocating”. How many clicked option c? The new movie version of Far from the Madding Crowd went out of its way to be relevant to the modern audience, and on Monday, near Eastbourne, a dog brought things right up to date by worrying a sheep over the cliff to its death on the rocks below, just as Gabriel Oak’s beloved pup does at the start of Hardy’s novel. But then much was made of the film’s proximity to real life. On its UK release, you were invited to find out which of Bathsheba’s three suitors would best suit you – solid hottie Gabriel Oak, stuffy moneybags William Boldwood or Sergeant Troy, he of the drink problem and secret pregnant fiancee. The first question was fair enough – would your dream date be a country stroll – but by question eight, one sensed some scrabbling. What habit wouldn’t you mind, it asked: emotional reticence, over-indulgence or “being clingy and a bit suffocating”. How many clicked option c?
A hashtag too farA hashtag too far
On Tuesday stars took to Twitter to mourn the composer James Horner, who has died in a plane crash aged 61. Social media is today’s condolences book, which would be all well and good if it weren’t for the hashtags. The use of these to register grief feels at best distracting, at worst jarring. In their brief tributes, Ron Perlman and Evan Rachel Wood hashtagged Horner’s full name, Rita Wilson just “James” and Russell Crowe the film on which they’d worked together “#abeautifulmind”. Yet hashtag confusion isn’t just confined to Twitter. A new chippie down the road from us in London opened last week. It’s called #hashtag, which of course translates as “hashtag hashtag”. So good they named it twice? On Tuesday stars took to Twitter to mourn the composer James Horner, who has died in a plane crash aged 61. Social media is today’s condolences book, which would be all well and good if it weren’t for the hashtags. The use of these to register grief feels at best distracting, at worst jarring. In their brief tributes, Ron Perlman and Evan Rachel Wood hashtagged Horner’s full name, Rita Wilson just “James” and Russell Crowe the film on which they’d worked together “#abeautifulmind”. Yet hashtag confusion isn’t just confined to Twitter. A new chippie down the road from us in London opened last week. It’s called #hashtag, which of course translates as “hashtag hashtag”. So good they named it twice?