Smirnoff Masquerade Ball - I Was There

When it comes to events that stand out, that make you wish you could do it all again, and that definitely were something that you had to be there, Smirnoff get full marks! The Smirnoff's 'Be There' Masquerade Ball last Thursday was absolutely brilliant. Aside from being a great excuse to dress up and go have a bit of fun, this was an evening that offered the unexpected at every corner.

From royal footmen at the front door to exotic stilt-walkers around the dance floor this was a veritable cornucopia of burlesque eye candy and creative adventure. The dress code may as well have read 'Desire' - everyone made an effort and the entire building was an array of fantastic gowns and stunning suits. Everyone was either masked or for those without a Venetian mask at hand, their were face painters at hand to create one-off works of art. Around the main ballroom there extraordinary performers moving and dancing to the sounds of DJ Alex Donald and Smash Hits. The drink of choice was obviously The Smirnoff Mule.

Richie and I in full masquerade garb

All-in-all, if you missed this all I can aptly say is, you needed to Be There!

Check out Smirnoff Ireland on Facebook to stay tuned to all their upcoming events.


Hat tip to DJ Spider for this video.

Friskies: 'Free Running' Cat

Pet food brand Friskies, who are part of the Purina group, will be launching there latest ad tomorrow (Tuesday 1 December). The ad will be used for TV, cinema and online, and was created by DDB London. The documentary-style ad follows Bobo and his 'crew' as the ‘world's best free-runners'. Of course this mighty accolade is all thanks to them eating Friskies.

Unfortunately the Englishe version isn't up on YouTube just yet but you can watch it here.





'Have You Seen This Cat?' Viral

You may feel a slight bit of déjà vu over this ad, which wouldn't be surprising. Back in August Friskies launched this viral:

Experience RE

This is really cool - great work for a renewable energy company. Just Click play...


The video can also be watched here.

ISPCC Twibbon

I wrote on Tuesday about the launch of the ISPCC Christmas Appeal, and hopefully you've all gone out and bought yourself a Holly Sprig. However, many of you may not have been able to pick one up yet for one reason or another so why not show your support by adding a Holly Sprig to your Twitter Avatar in the form of a Holly Sprig Twibbon.


Just click here and you'll be given the option to preview your new Avatar with added Holly Sprig. Then just follow the simple onscreen instructions and you're done.

It's a small thing to do but if it helps bring even a little bit of awareness to this extremely important Christmas appeal it'll be worth it. So come on folks, add the Holly Sprig to your avatar and make sure to tell your friends exactly why you did it.


ISPCC Christmas Appeal
The ISPCC are calling on people to make a donation now and make Christmas a happier time for children in need. Donations can be made through the ISPCC website www.ispcc.ie, by calling 1850 50 40 50, or by purchasing an ISPCC ‘Holly badge’, available nationwide for €2 through ISPCC street collections and shopping centres in the run up to Christmas. What’s more, the ISPCC offers a range of low-cost Christmas cards and gifts with a difference in their online Christmas shop.

ISPCC Annual Christmas Appeal Launches

Last Christmas, 40% of children’s calls unanswered due to severe lack of resources.

As I've gotten older I've realised that there are some things in the world that are in excusable. Some things that should never be allowed to happen. Cruelty to children is top of the list. Thankfully here in Ireland we have a huge number of people who dedicate their lives to helping those who are incapable of helping themselves. People who work for a number of organisations trying to do the right thing. The ISPCC is such an organisation.

Unfortunately, last year, due to a lack of funds, ISPCC was unable to answer almost 40% of calls made to its Childline service on Christmas Day. What's even more tragic is that in the last 12 months the demand on the service has only increased.

So yesterday the ISPCC launched their annual Christmas appeal to raise the vital funds necessary to ensure that thousands more children can access the services they need. The ISPCC relies on the Irish public for the vast majority of its funding, and while we as a nation are great givers, in the approach to Christmas we need to give more. As the saying goes, no gift is too small to make a difference.

Speaking at the launch of their Christmas appeal today, Ashley Balbirnie, CEO of the ISPCC said; “I know many Irish people are experiencing tough times with the ongoing recession but we must be mindful of those who are worse off than us and in particular children who are in abusive situations, alone and calling for help. We need to think about what is important to us at Christmas and how we can help others who truly need support. Throughout the Christmas period we see an increase in calls from children seeking help and it’s easy to get caught up in the chaos of Christmas and forget about those less fortunate. Christmas is a time for giving and a time for sharing, donations to the ISPCC are essential to support our efforts to help these defenceless children.”


The ISPCC has already received over 665k calls for assistance this year from children all over Ireland. That's an increase of 35k calls over this time last year. With many families hit hard by the economic downturn, those experiencing financial worries is only going to be worse then last year. All the additional stress and tension may inadvertently find itself taken out on children.

“Ireland is going through a challenging and turbulent time, with many people finding themselves out of work or experiencing a reduction in pay or hours of work. It’s not easy and it can be a hugely stressful time for people, particularly with the added financial pressures of Christmas. Children are not immune to such family tensions and worries, and for many children this stress can impact negatively on their own well being.” Balbirnie concluded.

The ISPCC are calling on people to make a donation now and make Christmas a happier time for children in need. Donations can be made through the ISPCC website www.ispcc.ie, by calling 1850 50 40 50, or by purchasing an ISPCC ‘Holly badge’, available nationwide for €2 through ISPCC street collections and shopping centres in the run up to Christmas. What’s more, the ISPCC offers a range of low-cost Christmas cards and gifts with a difference in their online Christmas shop.

For information on ways to support the ISPCC this Christmas, please log onto www.ispcc.ie.


ISPCC Childline Service
The ISPCC Childline service is available 24/7 on 1800 66 66 66. Support for young people can be accessed through the Childline website on www.childline.ie. The ISPCC offers a range of face to face, telephone and web based supports for young people and parents through its ChildFocus and TeenFocus services. For details of services in your area please contact the ISPCC on 01 676 7960 or view the ISPCC website www.ispcc.ie.