Don’t panic, it’s only Christmas dinner!

In the immortal words of Slade’s Noddy Holder, ‘it’s Chriiiiiiistmasssss!’. Or is it? When exactly is it really, really Christmas these days? Some supermarkets start putting those oh-so-tempting mince pies out in October, a good two months before the big day. And if your town hasn’t got its festive reindeer lights up in the high […]

Brand Christmas vs Christmas reality

Christmas is a strange time of year for advertising and branding. At the first hint of fake snow on a middle-England window pane, the big brands’ marketing departments start going a bit batty, commissioning agencies to create campaigns which have little, if any, relevancy to their products, services or brand. At this time of year, […]

Dad dancing – losing your rhythm and other signs of age

It’s a time of year for celebrations, festive fun and parties. And whether it’s the office Christmas party, a late-night gathering at the relations, or a New Year’s Eve booze-up, one thing is certain: after a certain amount of alcohol there will be ‘dad dancing’. Men of a certain age (and increasingly I find myself […]