If you are currently in Germany, you may be driving under the world's biggest set of balls. Adidas have graced an overpass at Munich airport with this brilliant ad for the world cup soccer featuring goalkeeper, Oliver Kahn. The campaign needed to be as large as the current wave of soccer fever sweeping the country. That's a definite goal for the ad gurus at Adidas. What a save! by Billy T
If you've got the cash (a cool $US 2.5
million) you can now own your own piece of one of the world's most
luxurious exclusive holiday villas at The Banyan Tree in Phuket. Next
month the renowned resort will launch the hot new double Pool Villas,
which owners can use exclusively for 60 days of the year. Owning
your own piece of world renowned luxury is the ultimate in status, and
the offer is expected to be taken up by status conscious celebrities,
royalty and other millionaires for whom money is no object. For members
of this exclusive club it's no longer enough to sample a luxury brand,
true status now is about owning it. If you're not in the market for a
luxury villa you can book a short stay for $2,200 a night. The centre
piece of the villas is the floating bedroom,
surrounded by floor to ceiling windows that open onto a wading pool.
The villas also have two private pools. Why two? Well, in the land of
the rich and famous, one (of anything) is never enough, of course! by Billy T
Forget Europe's hot spots, if you're aching for a moment of pure, indulgent,
unashamedly hedonistic bliss you MUST put a stay at Phuket's exclusive Banyan Tree resort
on the top of your to-do-before-i-die-list. The gods were smiling upon
me this week when I got to sample this slice of super-luxe-heaven
myself. My real-life fantasy began like this: The Banyan Limo awaits at
the airport, a gentle smiling chauffeur greets me. Within 30 minutes I
arrive, greeted by a barrage of staff bowing to me as if I am some kind
of Buddha, one of whom hands me a bracelet made out of Jasmine flowers (very Fantasy Island).
They form a phalanx around me like protective body guards, escorting me
through the grand foyer. So this is how Mick Jagger feels, I think to
myself. But the star treatment is no act, it's sincere and endearingly
polite - so humbling to be on the receiving end.
A golf buggy awaits, the resort is so big that they require the
buggies to ferry guests to their villas. I arrive at Villa 205. The
Pool Villa (pic above). Sonthaya, my private host welcomes me. I'm
completely blown away. The bed, ever so inviting, faces out to the
pool. I've stayed in numerous 5 star resorts in my time but this one is
exceptional. Sonthaya explains where everything is, a beach bag with a
towel and sunscreen is prepared for me, a fruit bowl with some
exceptional fruit sits on the table, my own toiletry bag with
everything in it. They have thought of everything, even an outdoor bath
to soak in later.
After Sonthaya leaves I decide, like a scene out of Porky's, I strip
naked and jump right into the pool. It's extremely private and not
only can nobody else see in, it feels as if I have the resort to
myself. But then I've barely left the villa, it's that kind of place.
On the second day, I head out to the beach just a two minute walk away.
I spot a French couple enjoying an $8 per/1 hr foot massage on their
lounge chairs. By the end of the day I have a golden tan. Later I spot
the Presidential suite, or what I've dubbed The rockstars VILLA. It has
its own private drive-away entrance so paparazzi shy-celebs can glide
straight in from the airport. I'm told Liz Hurley, Olivia Newton John
and Pierce Brosnon have stayed there recently.
The following morning as I head out for breakfast walking pass numerous
staff who, bow after bow, greet me in Thai 'Sawatdi Kha'. Their smiles
contagious and its then I realize what makes this place so
special. It's the exceptional service. The Banyan Tree more than
deserves its perpetual place on Conde Nast Traveller's HOT LIST.
It's
the service, those gently sincere smiling faces, are like nothing I've
ever experienced before.
At the extraordinary breakfast buffet I mouth the words OH MY GOD over
and over as I swallow bite after bite of the perfectly made omelette,
poppy seed pancakes, the fruit, the yoghurt, washed down with pineapple
and mint juice. The waitress asks if I would like a copy of the paper,
another one passes asking if I would like champagne, "coffee or tea Mr
Bill". I order peppermint, I pour a cup, spilling a drop on the plate
and it's replaced a second later. The attention to detail by the staff
is incredible.
I'm not surprised The Banyan Tree Phuket is
one of the most traveled destinations in Asia. The privacy of one of
the 127 private walled villas creates the feeling of utter seclusion.
I'm told it's a favorite amongst celebrities, royalty, and other VIPs
because it's so paparazzi-proof.
It's difficult to avoid hyperbole when talking about the Banyan Tree.
It has earned its reputation through its indulgent service,
radiant beauty and spectacular setting. We have hunted cool before and
will again, however my stay at the Bayan exceeds the word cool
and encompasses something brighter, deeper and stronger which
resonates
within you long after you have parted ways. by Billy T
Forget what the designers say, most trends emerge not from their
studios but organically from the street. Cool young things all over the
world are the true pioneers of fashion, wearing clothes in new ways by
customizing and accessorizing and creating a pastiche of retro and
modern. Coolhunter's Paris correspondent, Yvan Rodic, has been so
inspired by the street fashion in his native city that he's started to
document it in his own blog, facehunter.blogspot.com. And he's not the only one. Street style blogs have popped up all over
the world, from London to Helsinki, New York, Shanghai, Moscow and
Berlin, featuring pics of the what the cool kids are wearing right now.
We can hear fashion's top designer's book-marking the blogs right now. by Lisa Evans
The best ideas are often the most simple. This fantastic ad to discourage drink driving is a case in point. Used by the Hotel Marriott in India for patrons of its popular nightclub Enigma, this ‘personal stamp ad’ listing the phone number of the local cab company proved to be so effective the idea is now being taken up by the Mumbai police and is being adopted by other clubs. by Billy T
The Flying Carpet is the only carpet that gives
you the magic sensation of lying down between Teletubbie-like hills.
Flying Carpet redefines the concepts of "carpet" and "furniture": it
defines a new topography and functions at ground level. For the home or
for a public space, the Flying Carpet is made of 100% wool with wedges
made of 100% wool felt with a foam interior. The Spanish Emiliana Design Studio
encourages users to become creative participants while enriching their
daily experiences through the use of the objects and spaces which
surround them. by Yvan Rodic
Always wanted a tattoo but afraid of what your
boss will say? Thanks to a fascinating new technique you can cover
yourself in body art and no one will be the wiser, unless they see you
in the dark, which is the only time these tattoos are visible. The new
technique uses blacklight reactive ink, which is reactive to UV light. It's kinda freaky but imagine the fun you could have after dark. by Billy T
For those who dream of a downtown residency without the associated cost of convenience, designer Michael Rakowitz
has the solution. By focusing on the purpose of public space, he
developed P(Lot), which enables the rental of municipal parking spaces
for alternative living. In this regard, anyone can put some change in
the meter and lease their own temporary car shaped encampment.
His car cover canvasses are currently offered in the shape of a sedan,
Porsche, and a motorcycle. In case camping isn't your thing, the Rebar Group
have come up with another ingenious way to use municipal parking
spaces. Their PARK(ing) initiative transforms parking spaces into
strips of greenspace, complete with grass, a tree, and a bench.
Passerby's are encouraged to feed the meter and enjoy this green
refuge, while watching drivers search for an empty spot. by Harold C
MobMovhas
made the Sunday night ritual of watching a movie with friends a whole
lot easier. No longer need you cram onto the couch in your tiny
apartment living room. Thanks to MobMov (short for mobile movie) you
can create your own private drive-in movie theatre in your local
neighborhood. The concept was dreamt up last year by 25-year-old web
developer Bryan Kennedy who gathered his friends (and their
friends) via mailing lists for movie nights. Kennedy's website
tells you how to set the outdoor system up (using a DVD player and
projector) so it's totally DIY. Movies in the neighborhood, now that's
the community spirit. by Billy T via Springwise
Axe's men's knicker range cleverly demonstrates the stretchiness of its brand. "A sultry pouting brunette struts down a darkened corridor and begins to
size up the muscular man before her. She tantalisingly allows her hands
to explore his torso, her hands reaching further and further down,
until with a raise of her eyebrows, she makes a discovery... His
super-stretchy pants. She suggestively pulls on the front of the
underwear for an obscenely long time, only to let them snap back,
leaving her muscle-man smarting.Delightfully funny." Watch the video
The winter wardrobe staple,˜the hoodie"“ just got
exclusive. Why be a peasant and buy your hoodie from a store when you
can have a one custom made for your, um, head. New York outfit I Love Curls make hoodies to order. Now you can pound the pavement assured that your head dress is a one of a kind. by Lisa Evans
If it hasn’t already won an award we think this ad for Folgers coffee should be first in line for the blue ribbon. Created by Saatchi & Saatchi NY, the clever campaign consists of delicious looking photos of coffee printed on vinyl and placed on top of steaming manhole covers around New York. Holes cut out of the photographs allow the steam from the manholes to rise through, created the effect of giant, steaming hot cups of coffee. Brilliant. by Billy T
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