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Cadbury's Dark Chocolate Is for Everyone, Not Just Snobs
Plus: a coffee-machine computer, lawn-mowing sheep and more great work from Europe
The Bournville, Cadbury’s dark chocolate bar, gets reintroduced in “Made to be enjoyed, not endured.” Created by Girl&Bear, a content studio that’s part of VCCP London, it features two people going head-to-head about whose non-Bournville treat is more dark chocolatey. “To the uneducated palate, this tastes like burnt tire,” one says. The other retorts, “This one captures bitterness, astringency and resentfulness.”
If it’s not clear, the case being made is that dark chocolate is a total snob fest, mainly for people who aren’t actually enjoying their indulgence. That’s not what Bournville’s about, as the conclusion shows. We enjoyed the repartee. Great dialogue is hard to come by and this sounded fun to write.
Steep tariffs are radiating out of the U.S. like a toxic spill, with consequences just as unpredictable. But since April, any machine that “processe
s data, gives output, stores information and runs programs” is exempt. Because, you know, we need our computers. That description doesn’t exclusively describe the laptops to which our souls are shackled, however (and thankfully). In Italy, Lola MullenLowe repositioned De’Longhi’s coffee machines as computing devices which fit the description, saving the business a 15 percent tariff rate. Smart.
In VCCP’s “The Unexpected Hero,” a girl kicks a predator out of her home before it can get to her dad. Then she chases it down and shouts all kinds of stuff at it, ultimately galvanizing a community behind her to push the bugger out. This work is for Prostate Cancer U.K., and the bad guy is the aforementioned “most common cancer in men.” So says David Tennant in a voiceover. One in eight men get it, and it’s curable. But too many are still diagnosed late. So get your jewels checked if you’ve got them, and keep this predator out of your abode.
As of June 4, nearly two-dozen different French regions have banned lawnmowers between noon and 4 p.m., hoping to reduce noise pollution and actual pollution. Home improvement and gardening company Leroy Merlin has the solution: “Plan Bêêê,” the latter being the sound French sheep make (as opposed to “baaaa”).
In partnership with Greensheep and BETC Fullsix, the shop is literally proposing that you rent a sheep (or goat!) for “mowing services.” This isn’t as goofy as it sounds. Businesses and local authorities do it, and now individuals can, too.
The advantages are legit: less CO2, natural fertilizer, no green waste (as the sheep consume what they “cut”), enhanced biodiversity (because they don’t decapitate pollinating insects) and, of course, zero noise. Except for the occasional “bêêê.” Wild times we live in when this is the most hopeful thing we’ve seen all week.
Angela Natividad is the European markets editor at Muse by Clios. She also writes about gaming and fashion, and whatever else she’s interested in, really. She’s based in Paris and North Italy, so if you’re local, say hi. She might eat all your food.
