Spin Doctors Are Moving In Cricketing Circles

The Age

Wednesday October 31, 2007

Mark Hawthorne

IT'S fun to watch the marketing teams try to bring a little culture to Australian cricket.

After all, the most successful cricket campaign of late revolved around a slab of VB and little talking "Boonie" doll, who last season sprouted such pearls of wisdom as "Where's me thongs?" and "How ya goin', knackers?"

So it was amusing to hear spin bowler Stuart MacGill - or "MacGilla", as he is known in cricketing circles - muse about his favourite wines to enjoy with Indian food.

"Aromatic varieties, such as riesling and sauvignon blanc, are a great match," said MacGill at the launch of the Wolf Blass summer of wine promotion. "Their freshness and high acid levels provide a good contrast and balance to the spiciness of Indian cuisine."

We can't imagine Boonie dolls being programmed to say that this year.

Wolf Blass became the "official" wine of the Australian cricket team after signing a five-year sponsorship deal last season and has targeted MacGill as its key man after learning the Test cricketer is a collector of fine reds.

Wolf Blass also launched its summer of wine with an Australia versus India BBQ challenge. Nice idea, except there were no Indians on hand - celebrity chef Luke Mangan represented the tourists.

And, just in case you didn't get the message that drinking wine is "upmarket", a series of ads will start screening on November 4 that feature MacGill, Mike Hussey and Brad Hodge wearing tuxedos.

The trio will reminisce about their own favourite cricket moments over a glass of wine.

Super heroes duel

TWO financial institutions have come up with completely different ways of getting at your hip pocket.

BT Financial Group has launched BT Super for Life, a product that merges superannuation details with online banking via Westpac accounts, allowing people to keep track of their super nest eggs. To promote the account, BT Financial flew in actress Melissa George and "aged" her, with the help of make-up, to the retirement milestone of 65.

The convoluted message seems to be that not enough young people, especially women, are concerned about their super. "It's not just how your body, face or style matures, but also your finances," says BT. "Four in 10 young women would rather save for fashion items than their retirement."

Confused? Then you will find Rabobank Australia's tactic to get their hands on your money much more straightforward.

It has just lifted its variable interest rate for online savings deposits with its RaboPlus subsidiary from 6.7 per cent to 7.1 per cent, pre-empting a rate rise from the Reserve Bank.

Netherlands-based Rabobank is the world's biggest agricultural lender.

The interest offer applies to existing and new RaboPlus customers and runs until January next year. The new rate is also available to DIY super funds, trusts and business accounts.

Sprinkle of interest

THE countdown is on to Telstra's investor talkfest in Sydney, and attention is focused on whether attendees will need to bring their umbrellas.

Last year's investor day, held at the Overseas Passenger Terminal overlooking Sydney Harbour, was interrupted when the fire sprinkler system was triggered.

"Telstra will hold its third investor day this coming Thursday, November 8, in Sydney. If you attend in person, remember not to sit directly under the fire sprinklers, just in case," quipped JPMorgan telecommunications analyst Laurent Horrut in her latest report.

Mark Burns, general manager of Sydney's Westin Hotel, assures Full Disclosure there will be no such problems when his hotel hosts this year's event.

"There have been no special requests from Telstra to check the sprinklers. We regularly attend to the general maintenance," Burns said. "I can assure everyone coming that all will go well."

Last one standing

THANKS to those readers who passed on their invites to the opening ceremony of Tontine Group's new pillow factory in Campbellfield.

Pacific Brands chief executive Sue Morphett and state Minister for Industry and Trade Theo Theophanous will launch a new pillow showroom at the site. We're certain the product will be much welcomed by attendees.

Full Disclosure notes that the "media personalities" at the event are Lauren Newton, daughter of Bert and Patti, and her husband, swimmer Matt Welsh. We'll have a tenner on a "pillow talk" joke making the press release.

Rehydration stakes

THE battle has been joined at Flemington for Melbourne's hangovers.

Saab, which takes one of the prime marquees in the Birdcage enclosure, has done a deal with BioRevive, makers of the hangover "cure" Hydrodol.

It has even posted small packets of the pill, which is meant to help drinkers to hydrate while imbibing, to its Cup carnival guests.

Not to be outdone, rival Onedose is trying to leverage Cup-induced revelry to spruik its own product.

The makers say Onedose is the "only government-approved product capable of removing damaging toxins such as alcohol, nicotine and caffeine from the liver".

It is made from West Australian clay called bentonite, which is "derived from deposits of weathered volcanic ash".

© 2007 The Age

Back to News Index | Back to Home