If you want to see a bit of smart marketing and have a quiet gurgle of glee, go to http://blog.figleaves.com/2008/01/pants-for-paxo.html.
Everyone in Britain will understand the jokes, but I‘m afraid I must give a boring explanation to those who are not British.
The word “pants” is slang for “no good” and “Paxo” refers to two things: a self-important, humourless TV interviewer who has been marooned up his own arse by success, and a brand of stuffing. Stuffing is what the English stick in chicken and turkey before roasting it.
The link I gave you is to the blog on a site that sells underwear. I thought it an excellent piece of opportunism. It’s one of the few commercial blogs that’s any good. Make sure you go and read the piece in The Times it refers to. Very good light journalism, which is hard to do.
Incidentally, Paxman is right. M & S underwear is lousy, and they will end up regretting the way they have ignored quality.
In answer to all the fuss caused by Jeremy Paxman’s comments to M&S’s Stuart Rose concerning his gusset anxiety around the lack of support and quality of their underwear and the job that they do for him, I would like to make the point that you generally get what you pay for in this world. This has always been the case and remains one of lifes golden rules. If you pay peanuts then… etc.
I, as joint owner of Sunspel, would challenge anyone to trial a pair of our underwear and not agree that they have recieved the most comfortable underwear you can get. We have been making underwear in Long Eaton, Derbyshire for the last 150 years and therefore know a thing or two about it. We have made it for all sorts including Johnny Depp, Liam Gallagher, Anthony Hopkins, Daniel Craig as James Bond, Levis 501’s Nick Kamen, even Cyril Smith and Prince Charles.
It is not a simple thing to get right, however years of experience gives our designers a unique, almost boffin-like insight into the essentials of fit and fabric quality. Sunspel’s unique fabrics have been created for softness, lightness and strength – all 100% long staple Egyptian cotton.
To back up this claim if you follow the link http://www.sunspel.com and use the voucher code paxo-challenge, we will offer you a 50% discount on any of the underwear or t-shirts we sell, including all those made for Casino Royale – try it out and see for yourself what Paxo is missing.
Drayton – I think they took it down – the link doesn’t work. Miserable sods. Oh well, judging by the previous comment at least your post has enabled us all to get some cheap knickers.
Yep, gone. Damn!