500E & other things

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The Mercedes Benz 500E gets profiled by Doug DeMuro. It is the ultimate sleeper car with only mildly flared wheel arches give a hint for the vehicles performance. At the time of launch Mercedes called it the velvet hammer, the hammer bit of the sobriquet stuck with car fans. And the 500E and Hammer are used interchangeably. Even now, almost 30 years later, the performance is phenomenal, especially from a car with such understated looks.

Great talk by Shafi Goldwasser from the University of California, Berkeley on the relationship between algorithms and the law. It is a fascinating lecture. I believe that it was given in Tel Aviv

Algorithms have enormous power over our lives from health and finance to credit ratings or the ability to get criminal bail.

Academic Jack Goldsmith on the complex relationship between Jimmy Hoffa, the US trade union movement and the mob including its rise and fall. This is a good hour long interview but worth while having on in the background.

Ogilvy did this nice advert for Boots

But what’s for more interesting is this burn in the More About Advertising blog

Ogilvy took over the reins from Mother a couple of years ago – Boots didn’t want to move but its owners did a Davos WPP deal – since when it’s been a bit iffy.

More About Advertising blog

Hair Love is an animated short that addresses the complex nature of Afro American hair. But its got as much attention for its sponsorship by Unilever brand Dove as its craft. Stylewise I was reminded a bit of some of Disney’s animation from the 1990s and 1990s. The Dove sponsored film is a move to try and change the relationship between art and advertising. Though that still won’t stop them doing lots of formulaic product marketing. I was reminded by Guinness Nigeria development of action films for the African market in the past.