Eau de Whopper anyone?

“A tasty little present for men - Burger King body spray
by Hadley Freeman


Still can't think what to get him for Christmas? Socks don't seem to cut it any more? Fret no longer because Burger King is here to help.

The mass purveyor of grilled meat is offering, for a limited time, something even better than their usual piles of beef patties. This week, American men were given the chance to smell like their favourite meat snack with the launch of Flame, Burger King's contribution to the perfume market.

The company describes Flame as "the scent of seduction with a hint of flame-broiled meat".

Astonishingly, this elixir costs a mere $3.99 (£2.65). By contrast, one of its competitors, Chanel No 5, for example, costs more than $80.

Flame, a body spray for men, was launched this week online and in a selection of US stores, the list of which can be found on the perfume's website, which is named, appropriately, firemeetsdesire.com.

There, prospective buyers are greeted with what sounds like a melange of Barry White music and an interactive spray can which does not, disappointingly, emit a ray of French fries but morphs into a photograph of scented candles.

Burger King - or "the King" as the company's website refers to it - is not the only celebrity perfume on the market this Christmas.

Kate Moss, for one, will no doubt be putting up a stern fight with her Velvet Hour scent. But the model will surely struggle against a fragrance that has such a noble history: "The Whopper sandwich is America's favourite burger," the website boasts.

"Flame by BK captures the essence of that love and gives it to you. Behold ... now you can set the mood for whatever you're in the mood for." As long as that mood involves meat, presumably.”

(credit: The Guardian)

A case of East Imitates West...Imitating the East.

Keffiyeh Brings Colorful Clash to Beirut

The iconic black and white keffiyeh, or Arab headdress, famously donned by late Palestinian president Yasser Arafat has hit the streets of Beirut in a rainbow of colors -- much to the chagrin of older Palestinians.

Stylish youngsters, both men and women, can be seen in the city's chic cafes and restaurants sporting red, blue, pink, brown and purple versions of the keffiyeh.

Western and Arab tourists are also snapping up the hip item. The trend, however, is seen by many here as an insult to a symbol traditionally linked to the Palestinian cause.

"These colors aren't for us... it's nonsense, it's a fashion show," said Salim Ali Kayd, 74, who has been a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon since 1948, when Israel was created.

"The keffiyeh stands for a person's honor and manhood. It was a rite of passage to wear one upon reaching the age of 18," he added explaining the customs of his generation.

Others like him living in the narrow alleyways of the Shatila refugee camp on the outskirts of Beirut are also upset that their national symbol has become a fad.

"Yasser Arafat used to wear it for a reason. It means something," said Kalthoum Ghandour, a 45-year-old Palestinian doctor living in Lebanon.

"It was what the revolutionaries wore to conceal their identity," she added. "This is our revolution, our symbol.

"This trend distorts our heritage."

Shops in Beirut's diverse Christian and Muslim neighborhoods are selling the bright-colored items imported from Syria, Thailand and China.

A backlash against the trend has spread to college campuses in Lebanon, where Facebook groups have sprung up called "Palestinian scarf: Understand it or don't bother wearing it!" and "I refuse to let the keffiyeh become a high fashion statement."

This is not the first time the keffiyeh has been co-opted by others. The garment has come in and out of fashion, with youths in the 1960s and 1970s wearing it as a sign of revolt or sympathy with the Palestinian cause. The scarf has also become a signature item for anti-war activists.

While the latest trend may be more accessory and less ideology -- the keffiyeh's powerful symbolism continues to resonate, and not only among Palestinians.

The issue grabbed headlines in recent months when the Dunkin' Donuts chain came under fire for an online ad that featured an American celebrity chef wearing a paisley patterned scarf that some mistook for a keffiyeh.

The ad was pulled after a conservative U.S. commentator complained that it promoted jihad.

The U.S. clothing store Urban Outfitters this year also stopped selling colored versions of the keffiyeh because of controversy.

"They used to wear it around their necks and now they are wearing it around their waists. What's next?," said Haitham, 28, a Palestinian refugee who did not reveal his last name.

Dana, 25, said she recently purchased a blue version of the keffiyeh and maintains that the garment carries no political symbolism.

"I used to wear the white one when I would go to protests in college," she said. "These ones are a pure fashion statement.

Some young Palestinians, however, are proud to see the craze gather steam.

"I have about 10 of them... The keffiyeh belongs to us no matter its color. I am happy they have become popular," said Ahmed el-Hassan, 22.

(credit: AFP)

What ad people forget is that...

good to keep in mind for your next creative presentation when the client demolishes yet another idea.

(Painting by Harry Simmonds)