Sideswipe

Paul Mason thought it ironic that he could not get the sticker off their new non-stick frypan.

A pearler from the advertising industry newsletter Fastline. Editor David Gapes writes how Mark Sainsbury and Susan Wood, MCs for the ad awards (known as the Effies), retained their cool even during the priceless moment when they had to present a bronze to Colenso and TV3 (for their Leading News Journalism campaign). Here's what the hapless duo had to read out: "It's widely acknowledged that channel perception is driven largely by the news and current affairs offering. The likeability and credibility of the presenters is a crucial part of the marketing mix for any news programme. Through a strategy that focused on building the credibility of the new, lesser-known presenters and taking the news outside of the newsroom, 3 News responded to the challenge. The campaign saw its ratings climb in key audience demographics." Moments like these are to be treasured, quips the ed.

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Drunk and naked shopping: According to a British survey, 7 per cent of respondents knew somebody who had got drunk and bought stuff they didn't need online, and 6 per cent knew people who had shopped online Bob Harvey style. The research charts a rise in a new spending syndrome dubbed Bloto, or Buying Loads Of Tat Online. "These findings throw a new light on internet spending and pose a number of questions for retailers as they develop new online products and services," said a spokesman for the research company, Conchango. (Source: theregister.co.uk)

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A reader reckons the group-quaffed merlot mentioned last week would not have been resold. He explains: "Your Remuera reader would probably care to know that 'corked', or heat-damaged, wine is invariably returned to the distributor or vineyard for credit. When this happens it is important to retain as much of the wine as possible for testing - it doesn't just go down the drain (or to other diners, as your quaffing Remuera-ites seem to suggest)."

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Was Radio Live host Martin Devlin caught short of a guest on Thursday morning? For who should he end up interviewing about the execution-type killings of a couple near Tauranga than his wife Andi Brotherston, TV3's crime reporter. Brotherston, who went by her married name when she worked as police communications officer, has switched back to her former on-air name. Perhaps she wants to put some distance between herself and police for telling more about the case than the officer in charge. The quick-draw Devlins cut to the chase and labelled the murder victims as having criminal pasts, saying police were withholding detail so public sympathy - and help - would not dry up. You can't libel the dead, but you sure can play fast and loose with the missus on air.