Could banks make it even easier to loath them? Not only do they rip you off with their fees for this, that, and the other, and interest rates here and there making you, the customer, pay to use your OWN money – but then comes this advertising spot for French bank, Caisse d’Epargne.

Should they be able to get away with this kind of flagrant insult? They’ve recently come out with a series of spots featuring a new campaign with the tagline “Avec Caisse d’Epargne vous avez de la chance d’etre jeune” (With Caisse d’Epargne, you’re lucky to be young). And like practically all French pubs (adverts/spots) people are making out. (Don’t argue with me about this point, even the French hedgehog makes out with a sponge.)

Back to the commercial for Caisse d’Epargne: I don’t care if people are making out in these spots nor do I care that they are specifically for young adults. That isn’t the point. Did you notice that the people have dog heads!!? I wonder, do I have to even tell you what is wrong here?

Ok, Ready? Caisse d’Epargne treats their customers like . . . DOGS. ba dum chhh!

If an ad could be cute while being punny even when advertising ointment for hemorrhoids, this is it.

Well, it’s ALMOST an office. Think of domiciliation as a sort of Mailbox Etc. kind of place but with more amenities. There’s a secretary to answer your calls and help with administrative duties, a snazzy address near La Bourse, furnished offices to use for meetings (but they must be schedule ahead of time), mail forwarding, you know, having mail sent to your REAL office address, which might be in your parents’ basement. Of course you’ll have to share your little bureau with many, many other businesses but with a little planning well ahead of time, you can probably get “your office” in Paris and convince people it’s a fancy schmancy enterprise!

Cap Elysées International
25 Rue Ponthieu
75008 PARIS
Telephone : 01.53.89.11.89 – Fax : 01.53.75.15.66

Ikea has moved into four Parisian subway stations for two weeks only. Cute idea, but will they have to burn the furniture later? Oh, maybe they’ll go in the “As is” sale section! [via]

Tagline: To smoke is to be a slave of tobacco.

It’s clear that who ever was responsible for this anti-smoking ad for teens in France was in search of shock value. The article from the telegraph says it shocked France, but I doubt that. It’s definitely in poor taste and has a lame sexual innuendo but I believe people here would just do their Gallic shrug and unexcitedly say, “Pffff.” I’m sure these anti-smoking ads will not in the slightest deter teens from smoking, in any case.

Here’s an excerpt from the telegraph:

The adverts, presented earlier this week, show an older man in a suit pushing down on the head of a teenager with a cigarette in her mouth, in a position that suggests oral sex. Another version of the advert shows a teenage boy in a similar position. The accompanying slogan reads: “Smoking means being a slave to tobacco”.

“The campaign trivialises sexual abuse – worse, it implies guilt on the part of the abused,” read one angry comment on the website of “Droits des Non-Fumeurs” (“Non-smokers’ Rights), the organisation behind the campaign.

Droits des Non-Fumeurs said the posters showed neither rape nor abuse, but were meant to shock.
The adverts, which will be published in newspapers and bars, are designed to target young people in France, who are beginning to smoke in increasing numbers despite a ban on smoking in bars and restaurants.

Read the full article

I think I’ve lived too long in France because when I saw this ad booklet from a supermarket chain, everything looked fine, nothing out of the ordinary. No French person would find anything unusual about it except my sweetie.

^{Click on the image to enlarge it}

He screams, “foire au gras! foire au gras!” Me looking at the ad, “et alors?” (So?) He continues, “for your blog!” Me: “It’s just an ad.” Him: “Yeeessss, but it’s GLORIFYING fat. Does that not seem blogworthy?” Me: “Fat is good, though.” Him: “They’d never celebrate and dedicate the virtues of FAT for FIVE pages in an American food ad, EVARRRR. Let alone sell tubs of fat, which they’re doing here.” Me: “Oh yeah.”

Here’s a silly fun ad from the U.S. explaining why things are better when they’re French. Soooo….. I haven’t seen French maids like that in the seven years I’ve lived in France – NOT saying they don’t exist but anyway…

via (Thanks, LA Frog!)

Comment trouver une bonne nounou / How to find a good nanny. Click on the image to watch the video.

^{Sugar purses!}
A sugar company doesn’t usually, for any particular reason, merit much attention but Belle de Sucre is so very different. Their various forms and sculptures, are truly works of art and are boundlessly creative and playful, perfect for weddings, promotional items, food photos, theme parties, fashion runways, even to put a little fun and color in daily life. The assortment and craftsmanship of their sugar is so absolutely mind-bogglingly enormous. I just love these works. (no, I don’t work for them!)

^{Promotional company sugar}
Companies are always looking for fun promotional knick-knacks. These are just that and functional, too.

^{Sugar necklace}
These brilliant necklaces might not be very easily wearable but they will attract attention.

^{Window Display}
Dazzling window displays for stores. Who wouldn’t want their windows dressed in sugar?

^{Paris Landmarks and Monuments}
These are adorable and tiny Eiffel Towers, Arch de Triumphs, and Pantheons, and might be perfect for Paris B&Bs and for unusual souvenirs for tea drinkers!

The fun button sugars would be so excellent for a party of fashion designers.

^{Do you spoon?}
Aren’t these cute?! I can just see them in Bea’s photos.

From viewonfashion:

“The Louis Vuitton ad campaign for the Stephen Sprouse collection is really amazing, and it´s a great branding tool too. All around the world, LV shops are using graffiti to promote this long-awaited collection which is already a big sales hit.

To promote the launch of the Louis Vuitton book that pays tribute to Stephen Sprouse, they´ve got legendary graffiti artist Skam to paint an LV mural in Toronto.” [via] (photo courtesy of inqmnd)

From the latimes:

“Over the centuries, the French have cultivated the fine art of rebellion.

The 80-odd demonstrators, looking bohemian and stylish, listened to Baret set the ideological stage. The red-bearded schoolteacher and father of four explained that he doesn’t want to abolish advertising, just …” continue reading

^{photo courtesy of Presse-Océan}

David Bernard and Marie Geffriaud, owners of L’Etage, a small restaurant in Nantes (Northwest France, Region: Pays de la Loire), are offering an exceptionally cheap lunch menu on Tuesdays. It’s a marketing tactic to get noticed but it’s also a way to address the financial crisis that has hit France and their clientele. So far, it seems to be working.

For 3.50 €, a sample menu would include thai curry chicken and rice and for dessert, a choice of custard or fruit salad.

I hope other restaurants will follow their example.

L’Etage
15, rue Beauregard
44000 Nantes
Tel: 02 40 12 10 04

[via]

tags: france, french, living in france, cheap eats

When we first moved to France in 2002, I was a big snacker, as many Americans are. It was part of life and when I began searching for French snacks in Nice, it was a huge disappointment. In fact, I remember blogging about how we were able to find potato chips but only “au parfum paprika,” and other so-called different parfums, which in fact all tasted exactly like BBQ potato chips. Not knocking those, but I wanted different things to munch on, some variety in textures and flavors, artificial flavors and ingredients notwithstanding.

In the U.S., we’re used to variety, so much of it, that’s it’s hard to decide what to snack on. Having choices is good. It’s great for someone who must have a full spectrum of junk food, whether it’s good for zee health or not. Wasn’t I relieved to find Roasted Chicken Flavored Chips in France? Anyway. Another thing I’m used to, as an American, is volume. Gimme some tortilla chips, not just individual lunch bag sizes, but JUMBO, heaps of mega amounts of genetically modified corn substances and oils pressed together in the shape of triangles. Throw some in the oven with cheese and add salsa, guac, black beans, jalapenos, sour cream, onions and more cheese and voila: yummy nachos. I can eat an entire pan in one go, whereas in France, this portion would be served to at least 10 people.

On the sweet side of junk, I also needed volume. An example: I was very much a M&Ms with peanuts kind of person. Gobs and gobs and gobs of them, I would munch all day if I could.

During the early years in France, the biggest bag of M&Ms with peanuts held approximately 15.3 M&Ms with peanuts. PFFFF! I was like, “don’t make me laugh, France. I could eat 100 bags of those itty bitty things. Gimme more!” Where was the humungous bag to fill my ginormous American belly???

Recently, we saw some XL bags of M&Ms in Auchan. My sweetie noticed them and squealed XL! So, yeah, it was pretty big for French standards considering these didn’t even exist a few years ago. I was mildly impressed, but this French EEKSelle was a mere 500 grams (about 1 pound). Frenchies would probably say, “Ouah. Enorme!”(wow. enormous!) while ogling the outrageousness of its packaging. I say, “PFFF! That’s a Barbie portion.”

Last month while shopping at Costco in L.A., we saw some bags of M&Ms. Each weighed 1587.6 grams (3 pounds and 8 ounces)! Now, THAT’S what I’m talkin’ ’bout! To be honest, even I was shocked at the magnitude of the bag. But! In the back of my mind, I was thinking, “I bet there’s one that’s EVEN bigger!” I’m so American. I’ve probably watched way too many episodes of The Simpsons. (You know what episode, I’m talking about.)

We bought several. Not for me because these days I don’t eat as much junk (remember junk food is BAD for you!), but rather, for a few of our French friends who we know are ravenous M&M addicts. They were all shocked and happy with their supersized gifts, exactly what we were hoping.

But just afterward, it all made me a little worried. I hoped those M&Ms last a while and aren’t eaten right away…

While I complained about the dinkiness in size of M&Ms bags and other snacks, and the lack of variety in France, I was, at the same time, relieved that I would not have the challenge of resisting eating these as well as other junk in grand quantities. Like many people, I can’t eat just 1, or 10 or even 15. The French were known to be bafflingly skinny for many reasons, but namely because of a lack of junk foods and specifically a lack of large quantities of junk foods, or food in general – with the exception of meat at BBQs.

Sadly, times are changing in France. We found these M&Ms in the store the other day. They were size “Maxi” (whose name would obviously NOT work in the U.S.). The maxi bag is 1000 grams, just over 2 pounds. France, you surprise me sometimes. So, it’s big but there’s still a difference of about 587.6 grams, about 1.2 pounds, to catch up with their American counterpart. But 2.2 pounds is fairly large for previous French standards.

I know! This is what I was hoping for, but not really.

M&Ms is just one example but there are thousands of products that can also apply here to the obvious conclusion: an increase in product sizes will lead to an increase in consumption, which leads to obesity. This happened in the U.S. which is partly why one third of Americans are obese.

Obesity is rising already in France but I’m afraid it will only increase exponentially with the supersizing of portions and with the imports of industrial foods. In 2002, when we first moved to France 9.4% of the French population was obese. Just four years later, that percentage increased to 12.4%. That’s nearly 8 million obese people in 2006. I don’t know more current stats on obesity in France but I’m fairly positive that it’s more than 12.4%.

tags: france, french, obesity, m&ms

Should I just be happy with the fact that this isn’t pink PQ (papier cul / toilet paper) that we usually see stocked along the aisles in French supermarkets? Sorry, no. Some marketing executive okayed the copy on this toilet paper packaging, and I have issues with it, namely, that it’s called “Just 1″ because “1 piece is enough.” (ok, literally: 1 can suffice.)

This is baffling. Yea, it’s super epais (super thick) and all but still. On what planet does one square of toilet paper suffice??

tags: france, french, toilet paper, 1 isn’t enough

Some people choose Nutella, others, like my in-laws, prefer to spread Buttella on their tartines / toast. Appetizing!

tags: france, french, nuttella, buttella

Hey Carla fans, you might be happy to know that Pardon, a company (brand) from La Réunion, began giving away these bags with a purchase from their stores. The bags sport a nude Carla Bruni on them. The slogan, “Mon mec aurait dû m’acheter du Pardon” (My man should’ve bought me forgiveness or a pardon.)

Want one? Find Pardon in these cities: Marseille, Toulouse, Dunkerque et Besançon.

tags: france, french, carla bruni, pardon

Unusual sales are taking place in Strasbourg. Read about it here. (in French)

Apparently parents haven’t been too concerned about kids’ safety on the internet because I’m afraid some unpleasant things have been taking place in France, and Europe in general. I don’t know the specifics and we probably don’t really WANT to know what’s been going on, but the government is on to something and has produced some public service announcements called ““Où est Arthur ? La sécurité des enfants et des adolescents sur internet”” (Where is Arthur? Childrens’ and Teenagers’ Safety on the Internet). The spots have been translated in 12 European languages and will be airing on TV and radio during Christmas time.

This PSA, created by Le ministre du travail, des relations sociales, de la famille et de la solidarité, should be a frightening reminder to parents that there are lots and lots and LOTS of scary and CRAZY people out there that can easily get into contact with their kids. Beware, please! Click on the photo above or here to watch the video.

tags: france, french, internet safety, french psa

[Merci Martin!]

From iht:

“Misshapen fruit and vegetables won a reprieve on Wednesday from the European Union as it scrapped rules banning overly curved, extra knobbly or oddly shaped produce from supermarket shelves.

For 10 other types of fruit and vegetables, including apples, citrus, peaches, pears, strawberries and tomatoes, shape standards will …”

Continue reading

tags: europe, france, vegetables, misshaped, eat your veggies

Specializing in beef, apparently. How good have we gotten at disassociating the cow from the steak? Very good.

tags: france, french, nimes, butcher, beef, disassociating the cow from the steak

From billboard.biz:

“France’s second largest mobile operator SFR has announced the launch of a DRM-free all-you-can-eat download service from Nov. 19.

The catalog is limited to a few thousands hits exclusively from the Universal Music Group catalog. Subscribers will have unlimited access to only one of three genres (Rap/R&B, Pop/Rock, Clubbing/Electro) in AAC format on their mobile and in MP3 on their computer, without any restriction on transferring music to devices, according to SFR.

There are no plans to enable users to access the whole Universal catalog on the service. “[This offer] is a way for us to see how consumers react to DRM-free offers,” explains a spokeswoman at SFR. “We are not giving away Universal’s catalog.”

The offer is part of three SFR mobile subscription plans, which range from €22.90 ($29.16) to €56.90 ($72.47) per month. It is limited offer to 60,000 users overall.

SFR and Universal are launching this service in the context of the “Creation and Internet” law debates, which started on Oct. 29 at the French Senate.

The draft law is largely inspired by the conclusions of a commission led at the end of 2007, which proposed a three-strikes system that would cut off copyright infringers. There were also obligations for the industry, as the commission recommended that the industry remove DRM and interoperability barriers.

In Nov. 2007, SFR had launched an all-you-can-eat permanent music download service featuring DRM.” [source]

tags: france, french, sfr, unlimited+mp3+downloads

Val de Reuil, located just south of Rouen has expressed their Obama love with this hard-to-miss billboard. I thought that was kind of cool.

tags: france, french, obama, val de reuil, yes we can, french billboards

I like Air Car better!

From engadget:

“MDI’s compressed air vehicle has been unofficially known as the AirCar for years now, but it looks like the company is now finally putting a stop to that, and officially bestowing the decidedly less catchy “FlowAIR” name on the car. What’s more, it’s also gotten official with no less than four different vehicles based on the technology, including the One FlowAIR open-top model, the Mini FlowAIR three-seater (pictured above), the City FlowAIR truck-type vehicle, and the Multi FlowAIR urban public transportation concept, all of which have been making the rounds under various guises for some time now. From the looks of it, the One FlowAIR will be the first out of the gate in 2009 (in France, at least), with the rest to follow over the next few years.”

Related: Air Cars hit the streets, French Air Cars Coming to the U.S.

This restaurant’s name probably doesn’t bug other people as much as it bugs me – but what on earth are people thinking in Nimes??? The restaurant is called, “Le Sake,” you know, “sake” being the alcoholic beverage made of fermented rice from JAPAN!? YET. The restaurant specializes in Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine. That’s like calling a place Sombrero and selling underpants there.

You know what I mean.

I don’t care if the restaurant is good or not – I’m boycotting!

tags: france, french, sake, nimes, badly named restaurants, fail

From brandrepublic:

“The original James Bond Sir Sean Connery has been photographed by Annie Leibovitz posing on a beach in the Bahamas for Louis Vuitton’s Core Values advertising campaign.

Connery, who recently turned 78, is pictured sitting on a rough wooden landing stage on a beach near his home in the Bahamas with a waterproof version of Louis Vuitton’s Keepall travel bag next to him.

The strapline for the ad, created by Ogilvy & Mather, reads: “There are journeys that turn into legends. Bahamas islands, 10:07″.

It is the sixth in a series of portraits shot by Annie Leibovitz for Louis Vuitton’s Core Values campaign, on the theme of travel as a personal journey.

Louis Vuitton is making a donation to the Climate Change Project, spearheaded by Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore, on behalf of Connery.

Other celebrities to have been photographed by Leibovitz in the campaign include: Andre Agassi and his wife Steffi Graf; Catherine Deneuve; Keith Richards; Sofia Coppola and her father Francis Ford Coppola; and Mikhail Gorbachev, last head of state of the USSR who contributed to the end of the Cold War with perestroika and glasnost.

Antoine Arnault, head of communications at Louis Vuitton, said: “We are extremely proud that an actor of such immense stature should have agreed to participate in Louis Vuitton’s Core Values campaign.”

Pietro Beccari, senior vice president of communication and marketing at Louis Vuitton, said: “Our aim was to broaden the idea of travel beyond its geographical dimension and the campaign has achieved this in a truly remarkable way.

“We are particularly proud of the acclaim it has received from within the advertising industry, witnessed by numerous awards.”

The ad will appear in major international titles from October 30.” [source]

tags: france, french, luxury luggage, sean connery, louis vuitton

If you shop at Carrefour, you might have noticed a strange sign they’ve put up near the eggs that first says that eggs stay fresh 25 days after they’ve been packed, then says, “we remove eggs 7 days AFTER the expiration date.” This should be an indication that you should NOT buy eggs from them or at least check the date very carefully. They do this so you cannot return rotten eggs and get your money back.

tags: france, french, carrefour, rotten eggs

From Timesonline:

“France may be home to some of the world’s finest wines but it could be about to join the tiny club of Muslim states that forbid their promotion on the internet.

Winemakers and other players in the drinks industry are fighting to avert a ban on advertising, sales and even vineyard websites that has been looming ever since a court ruled that the internet should be included in France’s strict laws regarding alcohol advertising.

The Heineken beer company was forced by the ruling last February to block French access to its corporate site. Since then, some of the biggest drinks brands have shut out French visitors for fear of prosecution. “Today in France, the sight of a bottle of wine has become as offensive as a picture of war or pornography,” said Daniel Lorson, a spokesman for CIVC, the industry body of champagne producers.

The industry complains that it is being demonised and that an internet ban would penalise hugely one of the glories of the French economy and the national heritage. A click from France on Courvoisier cognac, for example, elicits the message: “Sorry, the regulations of your country do not authorise us to give you access to our site.”
Web users from France are even banned from dropping in on Orlando wines in South Australia, because they are owned by France’s Pernod Ricard drinks group. The site does, however, welcome visitors from Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

Even the…. Read the article

tags: french, internet ban on advertising alcohol, strange

The PSAs in France rock, and I really like this one launched by l’Institut national du Cancer that began airing on September 14 (and runs through October 8 on TF1, France2, France 3, Canal+, M6, TMC, TV Breizh, RTL 9, Planète Thalassa, Arte, Vivolta, Paris Première, France 4, LCI, National Geographic, Voyage, and TF6).

In just 30 seconds, the spot called, “le voyage intérieur‘ takes a serious subject, colon cancer, and de-dramatizes it with this funny-faced “cancer cell.” The ultimate goal is to reduce the fear factor, and hopefully get people (ages 50+) to consider getting tested for colon cancer, which is the second cause of death by cancer in France. (Lung cancer is the leading cause of death by cancer in France.) If it is detected early, 9 out of 10 cases are cured.

Click on the image or here to watch the 30 second spot

tags: france, colon cancer, psa, early detection, early prevention, second leading cause of death

Tired of the constant criticism aimed at the wines from the Languedoc-Roussillon region, specifically that the wines were “crap,” an independent vintner responded with a revolutionary and rebellious idea and created, “Le vin de merde” (Shit wine). The wine label will be hard to miss if you ever see it on a shelf because there’s a big fat fly on it as if it were sitting on a pile of poo. Brilliant and funny publicity stunt. The wine, however, is supposedly not crappy at all. Would make a fun dinner party gift.

tags: france, wine, le vin de merde, great publicity stunt, shit wine

[via Canal+]

From the Boisset Family Estates press release:

“…….”This year, Boisset Family Estates is the first winery ever to announce that all Beaujolais Nouveau wines imported to North America will be packaged exclusively in lightweight PET plastic bottles,” states Jean-Charles Boisset, President, Boisset Family Estates. “In addition, we will simultaneously debut Fog Mountain, featuring the first organically-farmed California Nouveau in 750ml PET bottles, to highlight our commitment to reducing the wine world’s carbon footprint by producing locally.”

“It is critical in today’s time, with the scarcity of our planet’s resources and the known environmental impacts of human activity, that we consider whether we should still ship thousands of cases of wine in heavy bottles via air throughout the world in order for the wines to arrive on time for their annual release date in November, when we can reduce fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions by more than half through a responsible choice of packaging.”

….Boisset Family Estates owns and imports Mommessin and Bouchard Aîné & Fils – two venerable Burgundy wine houses each with deep historical traditions in Burgundy and Beaujolais….”

This California company, importing wines from France, claims to be innovative and eco-minded.

Read the whole press release

tags: france, california, beaujolais nouveau, wine in plastic bottles, landfill problems, PET bottles, toxic

[via]

In sync with the new road safety laws in France regarding a vest and triangle to be kept in cars at all times, this amusing ad campaign was launched and features famous designer fashionista, Karl Lagerfeld. Via LA Frog (merci!)

C’est jaune, c’est moche, et ça ne va avec rien, mais ça peut vous sauvez la vie.

Translation:

It’s yellow, it’s ugly, it doesn’t go with anything (else), but it can save your life.

tags: france karl lagerfeld road safety ads

French company Louis Vuitton is up to its old misguided antics getting all litigious on guitarist, Dave Navarro (Jane’s Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Panic Channel). They’ve got their knickers in a twist over the fact that Navarro has been using a LV strap for his guitar. Um. I’d call that free advertising for LV! But nooooo. Louis Vuitton legal cronies sent the guitarist an ugly threatening letter expressing, “We have no doubt that this copying has been willful and is intended to trade upon the fame and cachet of the LV Trademarks to elevate the status of the infringing Guitar Strap, and of Jane’s Addiction.” Basically, they’re going to sue his ass if he doesn’t cease and desist his LV guitar strap use. Pffff.

Read about it on Dave Navarro’s blog, 6767

Related: Louis Vuitton is Suing a Darfur Fundraiser,
Getting Caught with Designer Rip-offs (Fakes) in France and Italy, iPod Cases from M. Louis Vuitton, Kawaii Contrefaçon

tags: france louis vuitton guitar strap dave navarro

[via]

I bet you haven’t seen this many dickheads all in one place, ever! Anyway. These AIDS prevention ads (“Just protect yourself”) recently won a bronze medal at the Cannes Lions 2008, an international advertising festival. The style and quality of the illustrations are wonderful. I wonder if people find these very “French”?

Advertising Agency: TBWA\PARIS
Country: FRANCE
Executive Creative Director: Erik Vervroegen
Creative Director: Erik Vervroegen/Michel De Lauw
Copywriter: Xander Smith
Art Director: Jonathan Santana
Illustrator: James Jean

[via]

Him: Look what I got at the market for you.

Me: What is it, sweetie?

Him: These jams. I knew you’d want to make fun of them blog about them.

Me: You’re the best. OMG. Gratte-cul (Ass Scratch) jam?! Vieux Garcon (Old Boy) jam?!

Him: (all giggly) You like them, don’t you???

Me: These are priceless. I love them. THANK YOU.

Me: Don’t you think they could’ve come up with a better name than Gratte-cul (Ass Scratch) jam?! and Vieux Garcon (Old Boy) jam?! Even calling something like Booger Jam seems better. The French are so funny.

Note: I’m not too crazy about how Gratte-cul tastes. Psychosomatic? I haven’t yet tried Vieux Garcon yet.

tags: france jams gratte cul vieux garcon ass scratch jam old boy jam franco-american+conversations confiture

Strategically placed at the toll booth where you have to stop, you can’t miss this warning. Here’s what the sign says reminding people driving on the road to pull over and rest if they show any signs of fatigue. Or else!

Tired?
DEAD Tired?
After the first signs (of fatigue), Don’t go any farther.

There’s a strange article that you’d imagine would come straight from The Onion but it’s from the New York Times. Ok, everyone many consider the nyt to be an equivalent… Anyway, it’s about an obsessive disorder, a “Sarkosis,” if you will, with the afflicted being passionately for or against Nicolas Sarkozy.

Sounds like a paid PR stunt attempting to increase Sarkozy’s popularity, if you ask me. But, for what it’s worth, here’s a tidbit:

“PARIS — Serge Hefez, a practicing psychiatrist, has identified a new mental illness among the French: obsessive Sarkosis, an unhealthy fascination with the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy.

But Dr. Hefez, too, has been infected by the disease he was among the first to diagnose. And like any good analyst, he is fully aware of the problem, and the irony. The heated reaction to his article “was interesting for a psychiatrist and didn’t surprise me,” he said, laughing, “because it corresponds precisely to the …”

Read more

Not being a fan of the overrated Louis Vuitton line of luxury handbags and luggage (and in general), this is another reason for me to take my dislike up a notch.

Louis Vuitton is suing a design student (Nadia Plesner) working with a Darfur fundraiser because their recent campaign called, “Simple Living” shows a refugee with a little chihuahua and expensive LV-ish handbag. Sound or Look familiar? As most of us sadly know, this combination of images only leads to one person: Paris Hilton. The raison d’etre of this design illustrates that people like Hilton get all of the media attention (and why?!), while much more attention-worthy important causes are being ignored.

All of the proceeds of the t-shirts and posters of this campaign are going to charity.

Buy a t-shirt now and support Nadia and Save Darfur

[via]

Do you get this ad? It might have worked if they added a short tagline (though that would have been a bit tricky)… Here’s a hint: Manix (King Size) sells extra large condoms…

There are three new public service announcement videos just released by the Ministry of Employment that are pretty creepy, albeit effective. They’re aiming to encourage people to take care of health problems like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and other repetitive strain injuries related to work before they become debilitating.

All three start with an agonizingly LONG and PAINFUL, moan. Then you see why. EW!

Here’s what the PSA’s say:

Au travail il y a des petites douleurs qui deviennent insupportables.
At work, there are little aches that become unbearable.

Troubles Musculo-squelettiques.
Muscular Skeletal Pain

Parlons en pour les faire reculer.
Let’s talk about it to make it better.

Watch the videos here

This is a recent television spot (commercial) that cracked me up a little but I won’t spoil it by telling you what it’s advertising. Watch it here (only 20 seconds). It’s not as funny as this one, though.

More television commercials I featured:

My mom said I could!
Become a replacement smoker
Road Safety Campaign 1
Road Safety Campaign 2
Fun AIDS Awareness Commercials
Funny Ad from Renault
Orangina’s Animal Orgy
Deceptive Commercial in France
Setting bad examples on French television commercials
Keep your spit for tonight
French ads including posters

Here’s the ad that’s gotten Sarkozy’s undies all tied up in knots. The bubble above Carla Bruni’s head says, “With Ryanair, my whole family can come to my wedding.” [Source: Daily Motion]

On a lighter note, here’s a goofy, silly fun online holiday greeting card from Rail Europe. This is what our turkey friend here looks like if you go to France. You can choose your destination and your turkey will dress accordingly.

Check out that turkey now.

[via]

More snarky ads this time coming from the ad agency, Euro RSCG Prague for the school Belecole in Prague, a French language school. Is THAT supposed to be charming and funny? I wonder if it really inspires people to WANT to learn French. If anything, it makes me think about learning English grammar, punctuation and spelling…

[via]

You might have noticed that someone has painted the town pink. At least the Velib seats, anyway.

“Operation Act Up” has hit Velibs across Paris with a simple message: “et vous, vous faites quoi pour vous protéger?” – What are YOU doing to protect yourself?

Prevent the spread of AIDS by using condoms. Here’s a video at dailymotion.

[via]

Alhough I’m not very fond of this French milk commercial set to a remixed version of “Staying Alive,” I thought I’d share it anyway for it’s creepy value.

Basically, it’s a bunch of baby bones dancing around cow udders. Need I say more? I think I prefer the “got milk?” campaign…

Watch the video

I kind of like those shoes. But French authorities don’t!

Un faux pas qui vous coûtera cher. En France la loi prévoit jusqu’a 300,000 euros d’amende et 3 ans d’emprisonnement. La contrefaçon est un vrai fléau.

Translation: Stepping out of line will cost you a lot. In France by law, you risk paying up to 300,000 euros ($438,780) and 3 years in prison. Counterfeiting is a real plague.

Latest TV spot from Orangina. It’s naturally juicy! Watch it on YouTube.

Funny Metro spot from the 70s (looks like from the 70s, anyway) – probably not being sung today…

Link to YouTube Video

[via Damien de Blignières]

Following the Canadian ad, I’m thinking that snark must be la tendance en publicité (the advertising trend) with France dishing it out to England (so what else is new) this time around. The Eurostar is the fast train from Paris to cities north (Calais, Ashford, London and Lille).

“Londres sur un coup de tête” means (Go to) London on the spur of the moment, but it also means (Go to) London for a head-butt.

That silliness aside, it says that a one-way ticket is 35 euros, but you also have to pay additionally for a reservation when you take the Eurostar AND when you come back. Lastly! The retour (return) ticket is not always the same price as the aller.

And they say that Canadians are sooooooooooo nice. This ad’s from a French restaurant in Toronto, and with a tagline like: “French Food without the attitude,” I just wondered what that’s all aboot.

Rude, eh?

Their tagline: “Make your own mix.”

This idea is not new but I like it anyway. See 2nd Hand Record’s Campaign called, “Complete Your Collection” or Christian Marclay’s “Body Mix” or remotely like some of David Hockney’s photo montages (photo collages).

Advertising Agency: Agence V., Paris, France, Creative Director: Christian Vince, Art Director: Romain Guillon, Copywriter: Pierre Riess, Art Director Assistant: Nicolas Martinie, Photographer: Adolfo Fiori

From Adrants:

If you live in France and happen to have found a baby in the frozen food section of your local grocer, fear not. This isn’t the latest baby dumping stunt by a distraught teenager; it’s just a home-grown campaign to promote France’s national child abuse phone number, 119. Another clue this isn’t one of those baby-in-a-trash-barrel things: the babies here are tiny, plastic and wrapped in bags like toys.

It’s not a sanctioned campaign but a one-off from a group of people who think the cause needs greater promotion. We’re not sure what we’d do if we found a frozen baby while reaching for a bag of frozen peas but we sure like the approach these guys took to call attention to the issue. Watch the video.

The Sécurité Routière, France’s Department of Road Safety has released this year’s television spots that will again send shivers down your spine just like last year’s. The TV spots focus on the concept of “just,” i.e., “You’re driving just a little too close” or “You just forgot to signal that you were turning” or “You just ran a red light” or “You just killed someone.” The French Sécurité Routière doesn’t mess around! But these spots effectively show the catastrophic consequences of a driver’s small actions.

Watch these ads here and here.

france road safety accidents in france driving in france

Funny TV ad spot. I don’t want to mention the product because it might give away the ending. (Click on the picture above to see the video)

Toxic Corp is recruiting replacement smokers. Apply now!

This spot has been running on TV recently and is well worth a mention for its tongue-in-cheekiness juxtaposed with a soberingly unhumorous message. Produced by the INPES (Institut national de prévention et d’éducation pour la santé / Nat’l Health Inst. of Education and Prevention) and the Alliance contre le tabac (Alliance against tobacco), the two organizations have been working to inculcate the dangerous consequences of smoking in young people – who are the prime targets for tobacco companies. (Yes! Tobacco companies really ARE looking for Replacement Smokers!)

The Ugly Statistics in France

* Tobacco is the prime cause of avoidable death in France, and the prime cause of cancer. (66,000 deaths per year)
* 42% of 15 to 24 year olds are smokers versus 29% of 25 to 75 year olds.
* There’s a strong increase in the number of smokers with age: from 34% of smokers between 15 and 19 years old, to 51% between 20 and 24 years old.
* On the other hand, only 54% of smokers from ages 15 to 24 want to quit versus 62% of smokers ages 25 to 75.

Here’s what they’re saying on this PSA and a translation. (Click on the photo above to see the video.)

Vous êtes jeune, en bonne sante.
Rejoignez Toxic Corp et devenez “Replacement smokers” !
Votre naiveté et votre inexpérience sont pour nous un vrai plus .
Chaque année , 270,000 jeunes courageux et motivés
sont prêts à absorber plus de 50 substances cancérigènes
pour nous aider à soutenir nos bénéfices .
Comme eux , saisissez cette chance
et remplacez dès aujourd’hui
l’un de nos fidèles fumeurs décédés !
Votre avenir est en marche , n’hésitez plus .

Le tabac tue un fumeur sur deux.
L’industrie du tabac doit les remplacer.

Translation
You’re young and in good health.
Join Toxic Corp and become a Replacement Smoker!
Your naivete and inexperience is a real plus for us.
Every year, 270,000 courageous and motivated youths
are prepared to breathe in more than 50 carcinogenic substances
to help us support the bottom line.
Like them, seize this opportunity
and from today on, replace one of our dead loyal smokers!
Your future is ahead of you. Join now.

Tagline:
Tabacco kills one out of 2 smokers.
The tobacco industry must replace them.

Source Links: Toxic Corp, INPES

I think this beauty salon’s name sounds fancier in French…

The Rugby World Cup is fast approaching, beginning September 5 in Paris. What better way to commemorate your favorite francophone rugbyman or in this case rugbymen than with a 2008 calendar of your French Rugby players all naked!?? Does it merit the name, “Dieux du Stade Calendrier 2008” (Gods of the Stadium, 2008 Calendar)? I think so.

Who’s on this calendar jam-packed with French rugby players showing off their best assets?

- Christophe Dominici
- David Skrela
- Rémy Martin
- Dimitri Szarzewski
- Clément Poitrenaud
- Vincent Clerc
- Nicolas Jeanjean
- Ignacio Corleto
- Sergio Parisse
- Mirco et Mauro Bergamasco
- Geoffroy Messina
- Julien Arias
- Marcello Bosch
- Loïc Jacquet

This year the calendar photos were shot by Steven Klein, well-known for his provocative images – for example, could the photo of Brad Pitt in a very short Greek skirt (for his film, Troy) be indelibly engraved in your memory? Klein has also shot Madonna for years as well as other stars and athletes.

Order one now (26.60 euros (about $36), free delivery in France)

[via Dieux du stade (in French)]

^{Tagline: Enjoy Rugby in the Capital of Love}

I don’t think this ad wanted to intentionally alienate straight rugby fans but oh well. It’s a bold ad campaign that’s supposed to be funny, anyway. [in preparation for several World Cup matches around Paris - ads by cestsoparis.com] By the way, Rugby kicks off in September.

^{D’ou vous voulez – dans le limite des zones couvertes par les reseaux 3G/3G+ de SFR - Anywhere you want – within the zones covered by SFR’s network 3G/3G+}

I’m not gonna lie: I hate this TV commercial. It says that with the SFR 3G+ service and USB key, you have access to the internet “anywhere you want.” Then in small print, it says, “in zones covered by SFR” (the internet provider). SFR is not covered everywhere in France. Then. That’s NOT getting internet access anywhere you want, is it??!

What if I want internet access between Paris and Dijon, 300 kilometers (nearly 200 miles) with my very handy, cool SFR USB key? That’s where I want it, SFR! You said anywhere I want. Will I get it? No. Once outside the city limits there’s no access whatsoever.

STOP LYING!

Links: Jurisprudence : Publicité mensongère, Publicité mensongère

Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday at the Greenmarket at Union Square, regional farmers and other food producers gather to sell their products. You’ll find things like organic baked bread and other oven-fresh goods, fish, flours, honey, all kinds of produce including unsual finds like black radishes, Berry Hot Garlic Jelly and more. It is a very cool market. But what caught my eye was a huge sign (sorry I was a lazy photog and didn’t grab a shot).

Me: “Sweetie, that sign says ‘Grass-fed CHEESE.’

Him: “Pffff! Americans now think that little camemberts have legs.”

We figured that the cheese producers didn’t want to say “organic” cheese because “organic” can mean different things (and perhaps not be organic at all) and the organic cheese in the U.S. can be made with milk from cows that were fed corn, something most eat but by nature, aren’t supposed to eat. Cows are supposed to eat grass! As a result of a corn-based diet, cows get sick. That means that ALL industrially raised cows are, in fact, sick. It’s inevitable and thus, these poor cows are heavily pumped with antibiotics to “keep them afloat” along with growth hormones that makes them grow at unnatural speeds. It’s all very unnatural and unhealthy. All of that sick stuff and drugs pass down into their milk, which is then made into lovely cheese! So “organic” cheese might not be very healthful for you. (Let’s not even talk about the beef.)

That’s why these cheese makers have to clarify where their cheese comes from. Grass-fed cows stay healthy as they’re eating what ruminants (grazers) should be eating: grass. Their milk is antibiotic-free and generally hormone-free (but check first). Slight Sidebar: Horizon Milk is not as healthy as you might think. In fact, Horizon Organic is not organic.

Back to cheese. If you have a choice and are searching for more healthy alternatives, try to buy “grass-fed cheese” as weird as that may sound.

Green Market
Union Square, New York
Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday

Tagline:

Get to know more about Paris.
CondorTravel Travel Agency

I love how this ad hits the mark about traveling to Paris. In my head I hear something like this from gobs of tourists, “Ok, we’ve seen the Eiffel Tower, NOW what are we going to do?” This could also be a spot-on analogous ad for traveling around France outside of the capital – as some, actually MILLIONS of people don’t even realize there’s an amazing world outside of Paris…

Advertising Agency: Quorum Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, Peru – Creative Director: Shatz, Art Director: Ricardo Toyohama, Copywriter: Martin Santivañez

Too cute prints ads “Don’t let smells mix” for Brandt Refrigerators – created by ad agency, DDB, Paris, France – Executive Creative Directors: Sylvain Thirache, Alexandre Hervé, Head of Art: Sophie Mégrous, Art Director: Martin Darfeuille, Copywriter: Edouard Pérarnaud.

This Sunday is the first round of the presidential elections in France. It’s not going to be fun but someone with excellent Photoshopping skills, is trying to create a little fun anyway with his creation, a French presidential candidate generator, which is pretty silly. Who will reign supreme? Olivier Royancenot? François Baypen? or Ségolène Bayrouyale? If I were allowed to vote, I honestly would have no favorites, morphed or unmorphed.

[via aeiou le blog de flu]

Continuation of Part 1 and Part 2

7. Cook Meat Thoroughly – There were constant reminders in the U.S. about the dangers of eating meat that isn’t cooked very much. If you’ve been to France or if you live in France, you know that that is the exact opposite rule in the land of steak tartare. In fact, when I order meat in restaurants in France, and ask for it bien cuit (well done) they roll zee eyes at me. And even then, it’s not well done but that is how I like it. The French are notorious for liking their meat bloody, dripping rare. Lastly, some restaurants in the U.S. don’t even ask you anymore, how you’d like your steak or burger cooked. Should we wonder about the differences in meat quality?

8. Warning Labels on Wine – When packing for our trip to the U.S., I’d completely forgotten the Burgundy wine I was going to give my sister-in-law. So, I bought some French wine in California for her. Hee. It had a big label on the bottle warning of the health risks of drinking wine. Just like with cigarettes. I think there are some wines in France that have a itty bitty warning, but most don’t have anything at all.

9. Ultra-pasteurized milk advertised as good for you – Ultra-pasteurized milk doesn’t need to be refrigerated because it’s been heated to a higher temperature higher than normal pasteurization (280°F vs. 145°F). That’s why it has such a long shelf-life – but many Europeans believe that ultra-pasteurized milk not only has no nutritional value, but also may be harder to digest because of changes in the protein structures of the milk itself. That isn’t to say ultra-pasteurized milk isn’t present in France – It is, but it’s not advertised as being good for you. [an interesting related article on raw milk: The Udder Truth]

10. Wash your hands! – Signs reminding employees and the general public to wash their hands after using the toilet were everywhere. Yes, I want people to wash their hands after they do their thing, but I guess so many people don’t, they have to put signs all over the place. Well, in France, I don’t think many people wash their hands (I’m not sure about actual statistics but whenever I’ve been in a public restroom in France, I always notice people leaving without washing their hands. I notice less of this in the U.S.) I’m very OC about it so it grosses me out. My other half thinks people in France have a better tolerance to germs and illnesses and can withstand a lot of bacteria without getting sick because of non-hygienic ways…

11. Vegetables – In the U.S. my sweetie kept saying he was just buying something that resembled a vegetable, but it didn’t taste anything like that vegetable. Carrots, for example, looked like carrots, felt like carrots but didn’t taste like carrots at all. “We are paying for the shapes of vegetables!!” he’d say. What were we eating then?

While we’re on the subject of commercials and ads, here’s an event in L.A. that is screening some of the best commercials from 60 different French-speaking countries. (I didn’t realize there were that many.)

Anyway, the event is co-sponsored by the Consulate General of Belgium and the Alliance Française de Los Angeles, where they will screen 80 minutes of the best commercials in French (some with English subtitles), some of which may not be suitable for children (in L.A.)

La Nuit des publivores / Night of the Ad-eaters
Friday, March 23, 7:00 pm
The Goethe Institute
5750 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 100, Los Angeles | MAP

$10 for AF members | $12 for non-members
Free underground parking after 6pm with validation from Goethe Institute

There will be macarons by Boule Pâtisserie

Call to make your reservations: 310-652-0306, or Email

Work and life and have been utterly stressful lately, so I decided to post this quick, light-hearted French commercial today. Every time I see it, it makes me laugh, and then I think about how it would NEVER be aired as a commercial in the U.S., being too suggestive. (I can see it, however, as a spoof on SNL or Comedy Central, even Cartoon Network. Yay them.)

Only a 15 second spot, it shows a woman surprised to catch her husband doing something expected in the kitchen…

Click here or on the photo to watch the spot

cuisine équipée

I really liked this Hollywood Chewing Gum commercial because they took inspiration from the very cool game, Katamari Damacy, and the plugin effect is pretty good. But I hadn’t noticed, until I read this French blog, Art Touch, that it shows a guy unwrapping the new ugly, plastic dispensers and throwing the wrapper on the ground (seemingly, anyway). That is not cool and sets a poor example for kids, and as the blog says, “Honte à Hollywood Chewing Gum ! ” (Shame on you, Hollywood Chewing Gum!). Some comments there signal that such carelessness merits some boycotting.

Watch the ad here:

Honte à Hollywood Chewing Gum !

I really, really, really hate this commercial campaign by BDDP & Fils. M6 Mobile Orange (for cellular phone service) has several different commercials airing on TV and they’ve just been…well, J’en ai ras le bol!

There’s one where a guy drops a mouthful of spit off his balcony, then runs downstairs and outside to catch it in his mouth before it falls on the ground.

A separate ad has a guy falling alseep in a train and hanging inches below his mouth is a gooey loogie, which before it detaches and falls, he sucks it back up into his mouth.

ICK!!! Another is not as nasty but it has a girl preparing letters to send off but she doesn’t want to lick the stamp, so she uses the saliva that is dripping out of her dosing grandma’s mouth.

One ad has a guy using the slobber from his dog to use to turn a page in a magazine he’s reading in a park.

All for the sake of the tagline: Keep your saliva for tonight. (so you can use it to talk on your cel phone later) There are more of them too!

Honestly, they are all so….as my 8-year old niece would say, “EWWWEEE!” I wondered what the heck they were thinking and asked my sweetie about it. Was it really supposed to be funny?

him: “Yeah, I guess it’s supposed to be sort of funny.”
me: “I don’t get it. It sort of doesn’t make that much sense to me. Keep your spit so you can talk tonight? What the?”
him: “OH! There’s a French saying, ‘Garde ta salive’”
me: “So, it’s a saying! I didn’t know that.”
him: “It doesn’t mean keep your spit so you can talk tonight. Actually, it means ‘shut up,’ basically. But that is where that whole idea comes from.
me: “Oh. Ok. Still. I wish they’d go away.”

Tags: france, french, advertising, bddp&fils, gardez+votre+salive+pour_ce+soir, , save+your+spit+for+tonight

Sorry to remind you but Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, so instead of the usual box of chocolates, bouquet of roses and homemade dinner by candlelight, why not try something different this year? Ok, this doesn’t have to be for Valentine’s Day. I just thought I’d remind you about it. Oh, I’m not knocking the above gifts. I love all those things; this is more about offering different gifts.

The French company, Wonderbox, offers unforgettable experiences in a gift box. Buy an adventure or package and have it sent in a gift box to the recipient. Examples: The Turbo box, choose from several different adventures in speed. Race a Lamborghini, Ferrari or Do some loops in an airplane; The Adrenaline box: white-water rafting, bunging jumping etc.; Calmer activities in a box include wellness retreats, gastronomic evenings, hot air ballooning, champagne tasting and more.

I like the idea that you can buy someone a box of one free fall from an airplane in France (you have a long list of locations to choose from). Though none of the package experiences are really novel, they do seem fun in any case, plus the idea of having one place to find a whole variety of adventures is fairly convenient and nifty, I think. Lastly, the “unforgettable experience in a box” idea is a cool marketing twist that basically “repackages” what they are selling, both literally and figuratively.

The only thing I find missing is the transportation to and from, but perhaps that is in the works. Like, for example, there’s a box you can buy that is an evening out to have a bottle of champagne with friends at a palace or luxury location. Wouldn’t it be even more perfect to add the limousine ride that picks you up from home, then takes you to your destination and back home?

Wonderbox

Tags: france, french, wonderbox, gifts, unusual+gifts, valentines+day, skydiving, hotairballoning

Too ingenious! I’m not sure why no one has ever thought of it before. Les Shoppenboys are guys that come in different shapes, sizes and profiles and work for the clothing store chain, Celio. Just find the Shoppenboy the same size and overall look of the person you are shopping for: Your boyfriend, your brother, your husband, your cousin, your nephew, your dad. You have many choices and you can even see how certain colors of shirts or sweaters or pants look on different complexions. This is too cool. Guys who hate shopping with their significant others with the passion of a thousand suns will profusely thank the shopping gods and the shoppenboys. See a video report here.

Les Shoppenboys

Tags: shoppenboys, france, french, shopping, celio, christmas+shopping, clothing