MIDDLE EAST
THE BLOTTER
FOUND
Kinko’s, Bur Dubai. June 3
ON A DIFFERENT (ORIENT) PLANET
Readers, you are in for a treat in the next edition ofMedia Week. An article
on an obscure website called Hyzonia.com—which was set to get a brief
mention on page 18 of this issue—has been held over until next week.
This is because our interview with the website boss was cancelled at the
last minute (on deadline day) because—according to the PR agency Orient
Planet—the client has greater things in mind. “We can’t do the interview
today because the client has some news to share, which they’d like to
appear on the front cover of the next edition,” we were told. In anticipation
of this, we have reserved the front cover of the magazine for the next 17
weeks, just in case.
GOLIATH WAS THE GIANT
It may just be us, but Michelangelo’s David always raises a titter around
the Media Week desk. Mainly because of his miniscule winkie. So we
were delighted to see this ad for Kuwait-based furniture retailer Al Tilal,
which—in a write-your-own-punch line moment—features the under-hung
hero and the words “complex”, “satisfies” and “needs”.
TAKING A STAB AT I.T.
User-generated content is all well and good. But sometimes it can tell you
a little too much about what’s going on. So it goes with the Sheraton hotel
chain’s ‘share your story’ function, in which guest ‘Christine L’ submitted this
eloquent contribution following her stay in Doha: “the manager of the harp bar
he was such a plasent guy hence he gave my husband & i a wounderful irish
welcome in the bar”. And we thought the Irish were supposed to be friendly.
ZONED OUT PARIS, VEX US
Staff in The National’s Dubai Humble apologies. Our recent article
office were recently kicked entitled “No Tango With Paris” incor-
out—with less than an hour’s rectly stated that Paris Hilton is no longer
notice—as the Municipality filming a version of MTV’s My New BFF in
apparently changed the zon- Dubai. This is incorrect, as a local hotel
ing rules for the location near PR points out: “I thought you might like
SEPARATED AT BIRTH? Maktoum Bridge, meaning it to know that Paris is confirmed to stay at
Our profile of the much-loved Burjor Patel in last week’s issue contained many tales of his was no longer for offices. the InterContinental along with her father
gentlemanly business conduct. Recently unearthed evidence, however, suggests there may Expect a feature about how and boyfriend, for five weeks”. How the
be a hidden mean streak. eviction is part of the coun- PR knows that Hilton and her boyfriend
try’s rich cultural heritage by will stay together for just over a month is
next weekend. anyone’s guess.
OFF-TARGET
One of our rugged, all-action editorial
staff is a member of one of the teams
in Dubai’s Amateur Football League
and so was the recipient last week
of a masterful piece of e-marketing
courtesy of eSports Dubai. Its sales
and marketing department contacted
the administrator of a league largely
consisting of bulky (in a variety of
ways) expats with a fondness for foot-
ball and after-match liquid refresh-
ments with the scintillating offer of
the opportunity to visit a live show.
A middle-of-the-road rock band,
perhaps? Or something featuring
MONTY BURNS BURJOR PATEL
scantily-clad females?
Director, Springfield Nuclear Plant Ex-Khaleej Times
No.
Barney’s Musical Castle.
26 / 07 JUNE 2009
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