Dar Onboz at the Arab Book Fair - Do not miss!

"ArcheWALLogical" greetings

Dear friends, for making "ArcheWALLogy" the smashing success that it has become, please accept this end of year greeting card in pure "archeWALLogical" tradition - it reads "Good/Year/2010/Afandem"... And that, is indeed my sincere wish to all of you. Sincerely, Tarek

-- Tarek Chemaly 00961 3 947605 www.beirutntsc.blogspot.com

Take a deep breath (Some serious creativity on the way)

Milad Issa of Lowe Pimo excells in these ambient media executions of the "it is our right to take a breath" (Campaign against second-hand smoking) where these "Oxygen masks" drop to allow passengers some unpolluted air. Copywriting, art direction and even execution are owed to Mr. Issa himself.

Ceci n'est pas un Christmas ad.

So City Mall is treating us to some interesting surrealistic interpretations of the festivities. At least, when compared to the fiascos which are surrounding them, they even sound more sparkling than they truly are - however in terms of visual eye candies they happen to work well. Naturally, if compared to such standards as David LaChapelle or other surrealistic "nouvelle vague"rs, they look tame in comparison. However, am I injecting an additional layer to these ads by reading the headline "Christmas EVE in wonderland" no as "eve(ning)" but as "Eve" the mother of all women? If the latter idea is what is inferred, than at least there seems to be concept there. Still, these ads are a welcome diversion in town.

It is odd that this pre-Christmas period should witness such dullness in terms of advertising, yet, scaveging the market, Beirut/NTSC only managed to find only a few ads worth talking about - which doesn't necessarily mean they are good - just worth talking about it!

Top of the bill and head of the class is Spinney's the supermarket known as king of hard sell suddenly goes upmarket with this nice ad - all velvety and lettucy - about "Shopping in style." I am not sure what this means practically - maybe simply keeping their floors from sticking to the soles of your shoes (Not the other way around)... Still, the ad is interesting.

Then comes some adrenaline with the Aprilia riding school.... Could have come out a lot more sensual, but then these are motorcyles - not babes - we are talking about. And can you believe that this Hard Rock Cafe ad was the most interesting Christmas manifestation there is in town? Which goes to say that Jodie Foster's character in The Accused was right when speaking to Kelly McGillis's (Character) saying: "If this is your best, and your best sucks, then I wonder about everything else!"

Oh, this is the season to commemorate the dead, after Pierre Gemayel, we had a bit of Rene Mouawad (Elected president, blow up on indepence day 20 years ago), now comes the turn of Gibran Tueni. The tagline "for all eternity" was taken from his oath - another part of which his daughter used for the elections.

'Tis the season to be jolly?.... Na, Na, Na!!!!

Sponsorship opportunities available!

Just like I sometimes feel that the Palestinian Intifada was "sponsored" by Nike (Otherwise, why were there so many Palestinian youth having the logo on their black hoodie as they threw stones?) some of the most memorable images of the Lebanese war also have "brands" and "spnsorship" on them. Like these photos taken during the celebrations of the Phalangists as they won the Holiday Inn during one of the Hotel Battles - the jubilation was to be of short duration - they lost it back to the Palestinians not so long after. But the Moet et Chandon photos are still a testimony to that frozen moment in time.

(Non) Comparative ad

In Lebanon comparative advertising is "banned" (The law leaves a loophole in this but advertising agencies have an inner code about it) and so there is always an oblique way to refer to your product in "comparison" to others. One of my favorite examples is "St. James" rum which compares itself to Baccardi Mojito by saying "Your Mojito deserves better." Better than what? It is left unsaid, but "better" none the less!

Harry Koundakjian - Piano player

The French mercenary playing the piano on top of the Holiday Inn. A masterpiece (And a tribute) to Harry Koundakjian one of the best photographers to have portrayed the war.