Balloon Dog

David Walliams. Discuss.

Can someone explain David Walliams to me please?

I know I may be the odd one out.

And I know I may be showing my age.

But I don’t ‘get’ David Walliams. Don’t understand the joke. If there is one.

I got Vic & Bob. I got Bruno and Borat. I even get Keith Lemon, for Gawd’s sake!

But I just don’t get DW.

In this campaign for his show is he being ironic, post-ironic, post-post-ironic, straight even?

Is he really the new Dale Winton? Or is he pretending to be the new Dale Winton?

Is he subverting his own show’s premise as some sort of in-in-joke? And if so, who’s meant to appreciate it? Cos the show’s pretty naff middle of the road - is it meant to be so bad that it’s a guilty pleasure?

Or will he, like that poor prisoner of Colditz who pretended to be mad for so long he actually became mad, simply forget he was only pretending to be a Bob Monkhouse/Larry Grayson parody and become just that?

Maybe Mrs Walliams can tell us who the real David is when he comes home of an evening, shuts the door and hangs up his many faces.

Greig McCallum

Bangalar!

Continuing your intrepid correspondent’s epic cultural journey of discovery into the world of dance and ethic tradition, I popped along to the Peacock Theatre the other night to see “The Merchants of Bollywood”. 

http://www.sadlerswells.com/show/Merchants-of-Bollywood-2011

It’s riot of colour, music and energy just blows you away. Tracing the rise of the Bollywood film industry to the present day via a somewhat tortuous narrative device, it’s just an excuse for one big dance-athon after another.

By the end people are literally dancing in the aisles and everyone is doing that crazy sideways-nodding-head thing and shouting “BRRRRRRR!” like we are all in Mumbai during mad monsoon season. 

If you liked the end credits of Slumdog, then you’ll love this. Yes, it’s cheesy. Yes, it’s melodramatic. But the 40(!) dancers’ enthusiasm makes you forget all that and it’s impossible not to succumb to the sheer joy of it. Over 2 million people have seen it worldwide and I should imagine most of them would go back to see it again. I certainly would. It’s playing until Sunday 3 July.

Now you must excuse me: I must drive my Hindustan Ambassador home to visit my cow.

Greig McCallum

Fond farewells...and happy hellos!

It's been some month at balloon dog. In what can only be described as the end of an era, we've bidden a fondest of fond farewells to our Chairman, Chris Murphy. After 35 years with us Chris has hung up his marketing spurs and ridden into the Norwich sunset; gone yes, forgotten never. If you'd like to read his valedictory address it’s here. In happier news we've welcomed a host of new faces to the balloon dog pound. Jules Montgomery-McCullagh joins as a Relationship Director, Mitch Lenton has bolstered our digital design team and Emma Disney has strengthened our activity management line up.

Yes, it's all change here at balloon dog and for the curious amongst you here's a little more on our latest chums in their own words...

Jules Montgomery-McCullagh (Jules Monty-Mac for short) - I've joined balloon dog after 10 years working client-side. During that time I worked for Renault UK in sales and marketing on everything from dealer relationships (which was like pushing water uphill!) to national sponsorship and events. At balloon dog I'll be mainly working on Aviva but will get involved with other accounts as the agency continues to expand.

When not in the London office I can be found spending time with my husband and three little ones (8, 6 and 2) or training(-ish!) for the Great North Run as part of my annual charity push; last year was a trek along the Great Wall of China. If you'd like to sponsor me or have any tips for avoiding blisters please mail me on jules@balloondog.co.uk

Emma Disney (no relation...so she claims) - I was born in Kent, and moved to Norwich when I was 8 (20 years ago, ouch!) and I’ve been here on and off ever since. I read Textile Retail Marketing at university and prior to joining balloon dog I was an account manager at The Point, working on Anglian Home Improvements and Bennetts, and at The Works, working on the Chapelfield Shopping Centre (CSC Group) and Bennetts (again!) accounts.

I’ve joined balloon dog as I wanted a new challenge and so I could widen my knowledge of the B2B sector - which Barclaycard Business will allow me to do. I’m getting married in July and will be saying goodbye to the good old Disney name (and becoming Disney-Pixar...?! Ed).

Mitch Lenton - I'm the latest addition to the digital team which I'm told is a multiplying Viagra-fuelled rabbit farm! Digital designer by title, I will be leaving my creative mark on all things screen-based in a short (but fierce) stretch at balloon dog. You'll see me scooting up and down the office until mid-August when I leave the UK bound for California, from there down through the Pacific islands, New Zealand and eventually settling in Sydney for a year. My passion outside of work, as you can probably guess, is for adventuring and adrenaline sports, especially surfing. Most weekends you'll find me flirting with the 2/3ft waves that the North Norfolk coastline has to offer. (You'll be back, Mitch. We always get our man...Ed.)