Bid to ban junk food adverts in flab fight

By Zoë Keown

A NEW study shows a complete ban on junk food advertising could cut Scotland’s troubling childhood obesity levels by as much as 14 per-cent.

Scottish children were among six countries analysed by scientists from Australia, Sweden and the UK, with the conclusion that food advertising has a significant impact on the eating habits of six to 11 year-olds.

Junk food ads during children’s programmes were banned in 2007, but health campaigners say kids are still susceptible to seeing adverts during adult shows before the 9pm watershed and have called for a total ban.

Junk food adverts are connected to “devastating consequences” according to the study’s co-author, Dr Emmanuel Stamatakis, of University College London.

Guru behind barcadi cat turns attention to Scotch whisky

By Domenica Goduto

THE WOMAN who turned Pot Noodle and Barcardi Breezers into household names is turning her attention to Scotch whisky.

Marketing guru Stella David has been tasked with giving the dram a “cooler” image, to appeal to younger drinkers.

Responsible for the iconic “Bacardi Cat”, who went on sneaky night-time excursions to clubs while his elderly owner was sleeping, David is credited with inventing the alcopop.

David, 47, will assume her new role as chief executive at William Grant and Son on August 10th, after leaving her job as Bacardi’s chief marketing officer earlier this month.

It is hoped that she will galvanize the whisky industry by increasing the drink’s appeal for a younger market, as well as becoming the first woman to head a whisky company, according the Scotch Whisky Association.

Senior Scottish minister blasts Old Firm thugs as “barbaric”

By Michael MacLeod

OLD Firm football thugs who beat their wives have been slated as “barbaric” by a senior Government minister ahead of Saturday’s potentially explosive SPL title deciding clash at Ibrox.

Communities Minister Alex Neil revealed yesterday that an advertising campaign will be run on TV before, during and after the Rangers v Celtic match being shown live on Setanta specifically targeted to highlight a proven rise in complaints of domestic abuse centred around the Glasgow derby.

Electronic advertising hoardings around the perimeter of the pitch at Rangers ground Ibrox hosting the match will also carry the message: ‘There’s no excuse for domestic abuse’.

MSP Neil revealed that shameful domestic abuse attacks jumped by a staggering 88 per-cent to 231 cases on the last Old Firm matchday in March, sparking demands from police to the Scottish Government that ‘something has to be done.’

CAMPAIGN: Alex Neil, Communities Minister

And Mr Neil, unveiling a new report yesterday, admitted he worries for the wives and partners of drunken football yobs.

Evidence

He said: “We are doing extra this weekend around the Old Firm game because we have very clear evidence that around the game there is an increase in domestic abuse, particularly in the West coast.

“We are deliberately segmenting the message to men and women before and after the game. There’s absolutely nothing worse than for a woman to live in fear of her partner and we take a zero tolerance approach to violence against women, especially drunken violence.

“This is the 21st Century, Scotland is a modern nation and it is absolutely barbaric to engage in domestic abuse, which is one of the worst forms of violence in our society.”

Guinness toucan snapped up at auction

By Alexander Lawrie

A RARE Guinness toucan statue which attracted interest from all over Britain has sold at auction for over £200.

Collectors were keen to snap up the iconic figure in what is the world-famous drinks giant’s 250th anniversary.

Standing a proud 2ft high, the toucan is thought to date from the 1930’s and originally came from a pub in Dublin.

And although Dundee auctioneers Curr and Dewar were hoping to receive £400 for the statue, it eventually sold to an anonymous local collector for £220.

Auctioneer Steven Dewar said: “The man selling the statue is from Fife, and the toucan had been in his family since the early 1950’s. The story goes his father haggled for it in an Irish pub, but couldn’t remember how much he eventually got it for.

“The landlord of the pub told him it had been hanging on his wall since the 1930’s, and that is all we really know about its history.

“But it really is an iconic piece of pub culture, and one that had lots of interest.

“We had lots of calls from all over Britain, and a few local collectors even popped in a few days before the auction just to have a look at it.

“The buyer is a local man who has bought quirky items from us before. He looked really pleased with it when he left.”

The toucan first appeared in Guinness adverts in the 1930’s when artist John Gilroy created posters for the drinks company depicting various animals including kangaroos, sea-lions and, most notably, the toucan.

The original posters featuring Gilroy’s art work became as famous a symbol for Guinness as the original harp logo.

Mr Dewar added: “There is a huge following for Guinness memorabilia and the company has become famous for iconic advertising and its quirky sense of humour.

“It’s wonderful that the statue has managed to attract an offer of £220.”

The Irish brewers originated in 1759 when Arthur Guinness signed a 9000 year lease on a disused brewery at St James’s Gate in Dublin for an initial £100, and an annual rent of £45.

He first started brewing Dublin ale, but soon diversified into ‘porter’ which then became known as Guinness Stout.

By the late 1960’s Guinness were producing radio and television commercials that featured the talking toucan.