Leith is who we are.
Leith is where we are.
The Leith Agency's weblog.

My kind of place. Shame they’re (for the time being) in Amsterdam.

I was cheered to read that Simon Cowell is planning to harness his tremendous (hmm, now I can’t think of a word) sales machine (?) to help the poor two million and counting earthquake devastated people in Haiti. Until I dove into the article and noticed that this wasn’t necessarily his very own idea. He was, in fact, approached by the PM and asked to so do. And who would say no to that? That would be like saying no to the master. You just wouldn’t.

Luckily for us, we have our very own (but more proactive) Simon Cowell within these very walls. The lovely Claire P is organising a cake sale for tomorrow to raise some money. So do feel free to bake, bring and buy. Alternatively, if you don’t have time for such sugar-infested niceties, go straight to the DEC. Don’t say I didn’t make it easy for you.

Have yourselves a little look at this. Britain Thinks. Peculiarly mysterious as to who’s behind it. My vote goes to a political party…

Following on from my twixt Christmas and New Year post, I happened across this reverie today. Doubly impressive from an American I’d say!

It warms the so-called cockles of my heart that IRN-BRU is such a charmingly fundamental part of Christmas up here. In the twixt Christmas lull, I was idling over twitter commentary on BRU yesterday and there’s an astonishing amount. Fuelled by the current Carnival in Glasgow.

And today I was happy to find a reverential post from this incredibly cool looking family. Read and marvel at the tiny part we / they play in making Christmas a tiny bit more Christmassy (maybe).

Our lovely Lorna receiving a gift in recognition of her 25 years service - she was there on the very first day The Leith Agency open the doors for business! She’s a legend.

There’s a great article on brand republic today introducing an amazing new Michelle Mone created bra which apparently fastens in “limitless” ways. An infinitely useful invention, no doubt.

However, I draw your attention to this partly because I blogged about M&S reducing their bra costs last year and lovely Martin at AG Barr said he’d been particularly entertained by this post. So it made me think that bra posts must be the way forward. Secondarily, because it’s a fine example of haphazard and sloppy writing. I quote:

Unfortunately a large proportion of these purchases will find their way back to the stores, or languish forgotten in draws due to the fact they are the wrong size, or simply disgusting.

Spot the typo. But I most like the blunt unapologetic reference to the panic-buy dubious taste of womankind.

I discovered with great excitement a couple of months ago that Starbucks were about to launch a promotion with (RED). I always feel vaguely bad buying posh coffee from Starbucks but I have x2 particular favourites which can only be purchased (to my proper satisfaction) from this establishment. So it’s an uneasy marriage of convenience.

The barrista in a Glasgow store convinced me that a forthcoming Starbucks RED card would contribute £5 to the RED fund for every coffee purchased via one of these limited edition RED cards. £5. Hah - I thought. The might of Starbucks is actually going to do some good. I vowed to look out for it.

On Saturday, I spied The Card for the first time in a branch at Haymarket. I snatched it up and brandished it at the barrista. It was the last one in the box. I felt I’d snatched worthy charitable activity from the jaws of almost disappointment. So laboriously we credited my card with some money and I bought my coffees. Only to discover that it was not £5 that went to the RED fund per coffee but 5 pence. Not exactly similar. The blow is softened by the discovery that I now get certain free syrups when I buy coffees - assuming I use this vaguely charitable card.

Send all your Christmas cards courtesy of IRN-BRU here. Lovely stuff.

Nice piece from Dave Trott on the brand republic blog in response to an accusation that the buzz generated by ‘controversial’ creative work did nothing to generate sales.

Ha ha, he replies, actually in this, this and this case, it did everything to generate sales. Well riposted, sir.